Kakurenbo
by Chirichi916
Summary: Just days after the Mariemaia incident Heero vanished. Now, 8 years later, security footage of a strikingly familiar silhouette dispatching a group of terrorists gives Duo a new lead, but will he take it, or has he given up on Heero for good?
1. Duo

REWROTE this chapter! So if you read it before, maybe read it again? Really I just changed the viewpoint to be first-person Duo.

Standard disclaimers apply

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I rolled out of my bunk, bare feet barely touching the floor as I pushed off and floated sleepily to the door. I fucking love low gravity. The door opened with a hiss, and I headed to the galley.

A light blinked on the vid screen, I ignored it for the moment, and reached inside the fridge for something caffeinated before hitting the button to open the channel.

I blinked at the blonde.

"Hello Duo. How have you been"

"Hey Princess! I been alright. God, it's been almost a year, how are you?"

"I'm well, thank you." Relena smiled

"What've I done to deserve this honor?" I smirked, sipping on my energy drink, "'m I in trouble for something?"

"Not that I know of." Relena smirked "I have a mission for you, if you choose to accept it."

"Depends on the mission." I grinned,

"There was a raid on an abandoned OZ base. They were after the weapons left there. But, the terrorists were stopped."

"So what's the problem?" I asked taking another hit of my drink

"I'm… I'm sending you the video footage. It's about a week old now but…"

I watched the screen. 6 men slipped into the base, decrepit now, after almost a decade of neglect. I was pretty surprised the security camera even still worked. A seventh shadow slipped onto the frame. My breath caught.

Even if it was only in silhouette, even if it was taller, broader at the shoulders, even if it had been eight years since the Mariemaia incident, I knew that impossibly mussed hair, that stance, that walk. I'd never be able to forget.

No matter how badly I wanted to.

The image fuzzed out and Relena reappeared,

"Duo…" she said, her voice was steady, but her eyes were pleading

"I..." I shook my head, sucking in a deep breath to steady himself, "No, it's not him. Heer…" I couldn't bring himself to say the name, "He's not careless enough to let a security camera catch him like that. It's someone else."

"It IS him Duo! We both know it! You saw the way he moved! Maybe he's showing himself to us, maybe he finally wants to be found!"

"NO! Even if it were him, the only reason he bothered to let that camera catch him was because he knew he'd be long gone without a goddamn trace before anyone found it!" I hadn't meant to shout, and I immediately regretted it as a few sparse tears slide down Relena's cheeks, "Hey Princess, don't cry. Please."

"I'm not… I'm not crying Duo." She said fiercely wiping her eyes, "I'm sending you all the information I have, you can do what you want with it from there."

"I'm not going to go after him. Not this time Lena, I… I can't." I glared down at my hands,

"Duo…" Relana said softly as the file transfer completed, "When you get a chance, why don't you stop by. I haven't seen you in a while. I miss you."

"Pretty lonely being queen of the world, eh?" a fake grin automatically slipped into place

"Stop that, and yes. I am lonely."

I softened

"I'll make time to visit you Lena, promise. I'll be Earthside for a delivery later next week, I'll stop in then. Okay?"

"Sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing you Duo." Relena's diplomat smile sprang into place

"Yeah, me too." I said softly, "See you then Princess."

"See you, Duo."

And the connection ended.

I downed the rest of my drink before gliding down the cockpit and slamming myself into my chair.

"No." I hissed "Shit. Fuck. Godammit!" My fist crashed down on the console. "Why now?" I chewed on my lower lip, it's a bad habit I picked up from Quatre in the fist years after the war. "I'd almost forgotten"

_That's a lie._

"I didn't want to remember."

_That's a lie and you know it Duo Maxwell._

"Why? Why'd you show up now?"

The void in my chest I'd spent the last eight years sealing tore open once more.

"Godammit! What do you want from me!" I screamed at nothing, to no one. Just space.

…**8 years ago…**

We were all staying in the Sanc palace following Relena's pardon of all soldiers involved in the Mariemaia incident. I was sound asleep after a long night of partying with Hilde and the others… and Heero… Had that really happened?

Relena burst into my room, completely ignoring the gun I had trained on her the moment the door opened. The pink-clad blonde threw herself on me, sobs shaking her slender frame,

"What the hell? What happened Princess? What's wrong?" I'd asked, unsure of what to do, hesitantly I wrapped an arm around her trembling form, gun still held loosely in my hand.

"He's gone." She sobbed, "He… he left." She clutched a scrap of paper in her hand,

_Don't look for me. _

_-Heero_

_PS. Duo, take care of her_

I had looked of course. I'd spent almost 3 years searching for a trace of him. But the guy didn't want to be found, it was like he'd vanished into thin air. I had hacked and traced and followed lead after lead, every one of them a dead end, until the morning I'd just given up. As far as the records went, Heero Yuy was a ghost, or perhaps, he'd never even existed at all.

And now all of a sudden he was back.

I started to delete the file Relena had sent me, then stopped.

_I'm not gonna look for him this time. Not this time. I'm tired of this. I'm not… _But my hand was moving on its own, my eyes scanning through snippets.

-The security footage of the OZ base.

-A newspaper clipping of a protest in Madrid with a man, his face hidden by a scarf, but his hair unmistakable.

-Another picture from Brazil

-L3

-L1

-Japan

-Switzerland

-L3 again

-Italy

-three more shots from L4

And finally, my heart froze in my chest. I'd seen this footage once before, the security camera on the front gate of the Sanc palace 8 years ago. I watched Heero drop to the ground after jumping the gate, then turn and stare at the camera, colbalt eyes steady, blazing beneath the fall of dark bangs. I felt my heart shred itself, and my head fell into my hands.


	2. Dirtside

"Duo!" Relena swept into my arms as I reached the bottom of the ramp leading into 'Shikigami'.

"Hey Princess" I grinned, hugging her back, she smelled like she always did, pleasantly feminine, but unavoidably _pink._ Like roses or sweet-peas or something.

"Do you have everything?" she asked, taking my arm

I held up my duffle and grinned "yup."

"Wonderful, I have a car waiting."

my steps faltered

"It's not the pink one is it?"

"No Duo, I thought that might be rather, ostentatious, considering I was coming to pick you up as covertly as possible."

"Right."

Relena smiled, and we made our way to a black sedan and slipped inside.

We made small talk as the car twisted through the bustling streets of Sanc and up the hill to the palace.

She tried plenty, over the next few days, to get me to reconsider, to get me to look for Heero again.

"I'm not doing it again, Lena. It almost killed me the first time."

"But Duo you…"

"Stop. Just… just let it go." I dropped my head into my hands, running my fingers through my bangs before I looked up at her again "It's been eight years, Princess. If he wanted to come back, he'd have done it by now."

"I know but… Duo… we can't just give up on him… How could you? You loved him Duo!" She was crying again, for the umpteenth time since I'd landed three days ago, "You loved him even more than I did! How can you just give up so easily!"

"So _easily_!? Relena I spent three fucking years trying to track down Yuy! And it tore me up in ways I've never healed from! I'm not like you Princess! I don't buy into happy endings! Open your eyes! This is _life_! Not a fairy tale! Heero's not coming back! He left us on his own and we just have to accept that because I'm sick of chasing his shadow!"

"I understand." her voice was clipped, and the tears still streamed down her cheeks. She walked to stare out of one of the huge windows of her palace office. I rose and followed her, pulling her into my arms to let her cry some more.

"I'm sorry, Lena, really. But I just can't take searching for him anymore."

"I know Duo." she sobbed, "I know but it's just… I miss him so much!"

I stroked her hair and rocked her a little, "I know Lena. I miss him too."

We stood a long time like that.

I guess you could say I've gotten used to it, being Relena's shoulder to cry on. God knows the girl needs one. She puts up a brave front, she smiles even when it makes her sick, and when she has to break down, I'm there.

But god damn that hurts to watch.

Relena got herself pulled together, gave me the usual kiss on the cheek, and went to clean herself up for some diplomatic dinner I'd declined accompanying her to. I told her I needed to get out of the palace, damn place is so stuffy and fancy it makes me itch. She understands that, after all these years, she gets that I'm not comfortable there, that I only stay there to be close to her while I'm dirt-side, that I only stay there to remind her she's always got a friend in ol' D. Maxwell. She gets it, she's grateful, and she compromises with me. I stay in her palace, but I get free reign of the rest of the city.

I told her I was thinking about going clubbing, it'd been a while since I'd had a night on the town. She smiled and told me to have a good time. We agreed to meet up for breakfast in the main hall at 10 the next morning.

I promised I'd be there.

She knows I never lie.


	3. Club Angel

I drifted into the cue for "Club Angel" a dingy gay bar on the south side of Sanc, desperately needing to just get the hell out of the damn palace. Out of the palace and away from Relena and her wild goose chase.

Don't get me wrong, I love the girl, but I just… I just couldn't handle searching for him again. I couldn't bear to feed that tiny flicker of hope that lit in my chest when I saw that security vid, I just couldn't. And if anyone understood the hole that had opened in me when Heero left, it was Relena. I guess the fact that she was willing to keep chasing him proved how tough she was, naïve for sure, but strong too.

I guess the fact that I had given up, just showed how weak I was in comparison. But goddammit! Eight fucking years!

I shook my head, this wasn't the time to thinking about that. I was out here to have a good time tonight. Maybe find a cute guy to dance with, or, barring that, at least get trashed enough to forget.

I could feel eyes on me, from somewhere farther back in the line. But why not?

I was dressed to kill tonight.

____________________

He was standing in the cue when I spotted him. I balked and almost turned and left, but no. I had a contact to meet. My head was spinning.

What was he doing here? He was supposed to be running a shipping gig out of L2. Why was he on earth? I'd heard, of course, that he'd stopped in to visit Relena. Not surprising, the two of them had become close after my disappearance 8 years ago, but Duo didn't usually stay dirt-side more than a couple days. Why hadn't he gone back to space yet? Could it…

That camera at Victoria, could Duo be searching for me again? After 8 years, had he still not given up? Relena, I could believe, the girl lived in a damn bubble, but Duo…

Duo had seen far to much to believe in fairy tales like that.

And I had too.  
Right?

The hair on the back of my neck began to prickle as I watched the others in the cue eyeing him up, not that I could blame them. What the hell was he thinking coming out like that!? His torn jeans were almost a second skin, the way they squeezed his thighs emphasizing the slenderness while still playing up the musculature of his legs. The way they hugged his decidedly perfect ass, and rode low on his slender hips. He wore a silk shirt, rolled up at the cuffs and barely buttoned, revealing just enough of his pale chest to border on scandalous, and showing teasing flashes of the flat planes of his stomach when he moved or the breeze caught it. The dark, almost black, purple set his violet eyes flashing beneath those long bangs.

I took an involuntary step forward when I saw the creep behind him reach forward to touch his chestnut braid, Duo's pride and joy and the object of all my wet dreams during the war. A snarl rose in my throat.

I was starting to move when Duo turned, the braid whipping around to drape across his shoulder, his slender fingers twiddled with the end. To anyone else, it would have looked like flirting, but I knew him too well, he was protecting that braid, it meant everything to him. I breathed a sigh of relief, then kicked myself for getting so over-protective of Duo's hair, I wouldn't let myself look at what I knew deep down, I didn't want him to let anyone but me touch his hair.

I tried to refocus myself on the reason I was here, but my eyes kept darting back to him, stealing glances as he laughed and flirted and made friends with everyone around him. Just like he had during the war. But just like during the war, his laughs and smiles were empty. A pain in my chest flared, I ignored it. But I couldn't seem to stop my heart rate from jumping when the cue began to move and I lost sight of him as he entered the club with the bastard who'd dared to try and touch his hair.

After my own entry, I spotted Duo at the bar, where he was still being harassed by the same jack-ass. I moved to the upper floor to wait for my contact.

I didn't wait long.

"Odin" he said quietly, slippin across from me

"Kyle" I acknowledged, finally tearing my eyes from Duo. "What have you found?"

"It's sex-trafficking." he snarled. "They're stealin' kids right off the street, even ones your age." the older man nodded sharply towards me, "Same line it's always been. 'Hey cutie let my buy you a drink' a shot of GHB or Ketamine, 'You don't look so good, let me walk you home' and that's the last you see of 'em."

I nodded thoughtfully, mulling it over in my mind.

Kyle whistled lowly

"Shit. I don't really swing that way, but I think even I'd take that one."

My eyes followed Kyle's gaze. My heart stopped in my chest.

"Duo." I breathed

"You know him?" Kyls asked shooting me a glance

"No." I said quickly

He kept his eye trained on me for a moment longer before returning his stare to the duel Duo and another guy were having on the dance floor,

"What kind of dance is that?"

"Krumping."

"What?"

"Krumping. It's an inner-city dance. A way to… express oneself, anger, aggression, spiritual devotion, frustration. It's a way to release without violence."

"You sure know a lot about it."

"I… had a friend, several years back. He Krumped."

"Huh. Where's this friend now?"

"He… We lost touch."

"So look 'im up again."

I watched as the song came to it's close and Duo threw out his signature "kill move". I couldn't help but smile slightly, he'd perfected it in the eight years we'd been apart. But then, if anyone in the system could pour their broken heart across a dance floor and get people to respond, it was Duo Maxwell.

The music switched to something slower, I frowned as I watched Duo make his way back to the bar, followed by a gaggle of new admirers.

Kyle chuckled, "Lot of dick-wagging going on over that one."

My eyes narrowed, Duo's safety was definetely compromised in such a situation. He wasn't helping it any by letting every jack-ass in the place buy him a drink either.

"Kids a bit self-destructive isn't 'e?" Kyle observed

"You have no idea." I growled lowly

Kyle studied me a moment,

"What are you doing here Odin? Why don't you go out, find yourself a nice girl or something. You're a good looking kid, shouldn't be hard for you."

I was taken aback by the switch in topic. "I… I tried that once." I said recovering with a shrug, "It wasn't my thing."

Kyle was a good man, but my personal life was none of his business. He didn't seem to see it that way.

"Nice guy then. Heck, why not the little siren downstairs, you two'd look _amazing_ together."

It was then I saw Duo's stalker of the evening tip something into his drink. I was moving before I could think.

"Go get 'im Odin!" Kyle cheered, mistaking my intentions. "Good luck kid, I'm outta here 'fore the wife starts to wonder."

I kept the hood of my sweatshirt drawn low over my face and my hands shoved into the pocket as I pushed my way to where Duo was standing. He was already staggering, but whether from the drug or just the absurd amount of alcohol he downed in the past 1/2 hour I couldn't be sure.

"I think it's time you called it a night Maxwell." I growled, catching him by the wrist and tugging him after me.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the perp. I quickly memorized his face. I'd be coming back for him, but my first priority was to get Duo the hell out of there.

"His…" I almost hesitated, was I still his friend? I'd cut him off 8 years ago and hadn't dared to see him since. "I'm an old friend of his, now back off."

"Hey pally, chill out k?" Duo slurred, tottering slightly on his feet

"Shut up Maxwell." I growled

"Hey, here, have a sip of this man. It'll mellow you o-u-t." He pushed his glass at me.

"No. We need to leave. Now."

"What's the rush? 'nights young, ya' know?"

"Maxwell."

"How'd you know…" Duo's eyes dilated and he slumped against me.

"Maxwell!" My hands caught him, but I wasn't quick enough to dodge the needle that plunged into my neck.


	4. Sex Trafficking

I woke up with my head reeling, in a large cage in what appeared to be the bay of a cargo ship. Duo slumped beside me.

"Maxwell." I said shaking him,

He came to quickly, violet eyes peering up at my face under my hood. He paled.

-------------------------

Some prick was shaking me. I was lying on something cold and hard. My head felt like it was in a goddamn vice. I open and my eyes and who's hovering over me but one Heero Goddamn Yuy. Only, his eyes are wrong, they're gray, instead of blue, and my head starts hurting even worse, maybe I got the wrong guy, and then I look closer and realize the bastards wearing contacts.

"Du…"

"Take out those fucking contacts Yuy. Or I'll rip them out for you." I growled, ripping his hood down to reveal that permanently mussed hair

He nods slowly and turns, plucking out the contacts and letting them drop to the floor. When he turns back, those cobalt eyes are just as unbelievably blue as I remember.

"Duo… I…"

My fist connects solidly with his jaw.

My head just about splits in two with the effort, but the feel of his face beneath my knuckles is worth it. Heero rolls right back to his feet, the way he's moving, I can tell he's probably hurting same way I am. Good then. This'll be more even.

"Duo! I!"

My fist flies again, but he catches it this time

"Dammit Duo, would you take a look at your surroundings before brawling with me."

"No way! No FUCKING way Yuy! I've been waiting EIGHT GODDAMN YEARS to kick your ass you son-of-a-bitch! And I am NOT gonna stop to have a fucking conversation with you now!"

"We're in a fucking cage you moron! Now is not the time for this!"

He's getting pissed, and he drops below my right hook to sweep my legs out from under me, hitting me with an elbow to the solar-plexus on my way down, fucking prick.

I hit the floor hard, and I'm seeing stars but I'm too damn pissed to care. I flip back up and run back at him swinging,

"Eight fucking years Yuy! Eight fucking years!"

"If you'd stop trying to knock my fucking head off maybe I could explain!" he dodged a roundhouse to his head and tried to sweep again, but I saw it coming and dodged, catching his foot and flipping the reversal

"I don't want you explanations! I don't give a damn where you've been! Why the fuck did you show up now!" My fist slammed into the floor as he rolled out of the way, splitting my knuckles, "What is this some kind of game to you! You ditch out on all of us! ALL of us Yuy! The Princess! Everyone! And then you just come waltzing back in here like I'm supposed to be happy to see you! I didn't want to see you again! I was trying to forget! What the fuck Yuy!"

"I'm sorry Duo! Would you just shut up and listen!" Heero kept dodging my attacks, his head was clearing faster than mine it seemed, or maybe it was because he wasn't fighting back tears, or maybe it was just because Heero's always been better than me…

"I don't WANT to listen!"

"Hey! You two little bitches! Keep it down!" some fat ass 'guard' saunters over

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" we roared together, our fists flying between the bars to grab the jack-ass's shirt and simultaneously yanked, smashing the poor fuck right into the cage. He went limp and Heero grabbed his gun while I snatched his key card, and again, simultaneously, kicked his fat carcass away.

"Eight fucking years…" I grumbled to myself, "Eight fucking years and you just turn up again…"

"What about you." Heero glared, "eight fucking years and you still haven't grown up."

"Excuse me for living, asshole." I shot back

"Right, great Duo." he snarled as we let ourselves out of our little play-pen, "real fucking mature. Tell me, do all your nights getting plastered end up with you being sold in sex-trafficking?"

"Why the fuck should you care? I'm just a street whore from L2 aren't I? Use me for a one night stand and then adios!"

"I didn't use you for a…" Heero started

"Really? Cause I seem to remember you having bailed by the next morning." I glared, he couldn't argue with that one, it was true after all. I noticed with, no small note of satisfaction, the shiner beginning to develop around his right eye. But I grimaced as I realized I probably looked just as bad. I certainly felt it.

We stomped out of the cargo hold in silence, dispatching another 'guard' and procuring a gun for myself and a second key card.

"Duo, I…"

"Right. Fuck. Whatever. Where the hell are we?" I growled as we marched down the corridor towards the cockpit.

"Look, would you listen, I."

"Shut the fuck up Yuy! I got nothing to say to you!" I yelled, taking out some poor sap with a gun who happened to be walking towards us.

"Well maybe I've got something to say to you!" Heero blasted away another two poor bastards. The cockpit stood in front of us.

"Something that took you eight years to figure out!?" I barked a humorless laugh and slid the card through the reader, the door slid open, and the creepazoid from the night before, along with two other poor bastards turned to stare in shock.

"MAYBE IT DID!" Heero roared taking out the one on the left while I shot the jerk on the right. Both guns zoned in on Creepazoid, his eyes wide, he didn't even try to reach for his gun.

"Look, Duo baby…" he stammered as we stepped forward, "It's just a misunderstanding please." He swallowed hard, "I… I'm just in love with you."

"That's my line." Heero growled as our fists slammed into his face, sending him flying into the console and then crumpling to the floor without a sound.

I threw open a direct line to the Preventers office.

"Get me Chang, NOW!" I growled at the girl who answered

"yes sir." she said meekly, moving quickly to transfer the line

"This had better be…" Wufei's black eyes widened, "Duo! Where the fuck have you been!? Relena's been frantic! What the hell happened to your face?"

"Heero fucking Yuy happened." I glared, "One minute I'm happy, throwing a few back at a club, the next I've been sold in sex-trafficking with that goddamn son-of-a-bitch and…"

"Yuy's with you!?" Wufei's chair could be heard crashing to the floor

Heero moved into view of the vid-screens camera, "Nice to see you again, Chang." he said stoically

Wufei's face turned an amazing shade of red as he started screaming

"NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN CHANG! EIGHT FUCKING YEARS AND IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN CHANG! YOU DISHONERABLE PIECE SHIT YUY! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! I CAN'T WAIT TO SERVE JUSTICE TO YOUR ASS YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH! DUO, IN THE NAME OF THE LAW PUNCH THAT BASTARD AGAIN!"

Somewhere in Chang's screaming I just sorta snapped. I was tired, I hurt, and listening to Wufei roar about justice and honor just made the fact that Heero was back seem… real… I didn't know how I felt. There was this huge gaping hole in my chest and it felt like it was being filled and emptied at the same time. I was so fucking pissed, but at the same time, I was so goddamned happy that I… I just slid down to the floor and started laughing. Laughing and crying at the same time.

It was so fucked up, but it was so fucking funny, Heero, getting his ass chewed by Wufei. It was like it was 8 years ago. Like nothing had changed. Except that everything had changed.

"Clear us a course home, Chang." Heero said sharply, "Yuy out." and he ended the transmission


	5. Past Mistakes

I ended the transmission with Chang and turned to Duo, who appeared to have snapped as he was sitting on the floor laughing hysterically to himself.

"Duo…" I said quietly reaching towards him

"Don't fucking touch me Yuy!" He growled, jumping to his feet.

Well, at least he was being 'normal' again.

He glanced around till his eyes found the clock,

"Shit!" he hissed scrambling to the vid screen. He punched through to the Sanc palace

"Office of Relena Dor… Duo!" I felt a twinge of guilt when I saw her. She hadn't changed much. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and wearing a pink scarf, I wondered idly if she'd outgrown her unhealthy obsession with the color.

"Duo where have you been!? I've been worried sick! They said you didn't come back last night, and you weren't at breakfast this morning and I… I was scared that…" I stiffened, Relena didn't shed tears easily. For her to shed them so freely for Duo, the two must have become extremely close.

"Hey! Hey now Lena! No crying, please!"

"I'm sorry… I was just… I was just afraid that you'd…"

"Hey! Don't talk like that. I'm not gonna bail on you. I promised, remember?"

she nodded "I remember."

"Then stop crying, you're killing me here."

The way he smiled at her, it was so gentle, but still… sad. In a way.

"Look, I'm really sorry I missed out on breakfast, I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"It's not important Duo. I was just worried. What happened to you?"

"Ah, I got caught up in some shit. I'll tell you about it when I get back, K? I'm on my way there now. Wufei should be calling back with my itinerary any minute now."

Relena nodded

"Have him send me your ETA, I'll have a car sent to pick you up."

"Thanks Lena, you're a doll."

"Duo… Have you…Never mind. Thanks for calling. I'm glad you're alright."

"Sure thing, Princess. Duo out."

He closed the connection, then sank into a chair, staring blankly at the darkened vid screen.

"She never gave up on you, you know." he said finally

I stiffened,

"I know."

"Every snap shot, every security camera, every rumor, she kept track of them all."

"I know."

"Seems you went just about everywhere." His eyes hadn't moved from the empty screen

"I've… been around."

"Everywhere but L2." He said pushing himself out the chair and retreating towards the galley.

"Duo! Wait!"

I had been to L2, after making sure he was safely away, on a delivery. After I'd made sure I wouldn't see him in person, if I had, I wasn't sure I'd have been able to stay away. My fists clenched, I deserved his hatred, I knew that, I was prepared for that. But I hadn't been prepared for the pain flashing in those violet eyes, every time he looked at me.

"Duo, I'm sorry."

The vid screen beeped twice, and then I heard Duo pick it up from down the hall.

"Yeah, thanks Fei, see you in four hours."

I stepped into the hallway, stepping silently down the hallway,

"Duo…" I heard Chang say softly "Are you gonna be alright."

"I… I don't know man." I couldn't see him, behind the closed door of the galley, but I didn't have too. I knew when his head dropped into his hands, I knew the way his shoulders slumped. "I'd given up, you know. I said I wasn't gonna search anymore, convinced myself he was dead to me. Now all of a sudden he's back, and I… Fuck! I don't know if I want to just jettison his ass into space, or throw myself at his feet and beg him not to leave again."

I heard the click of Wufei's register over the line, and knew his gun had appeared onscreen

"I'll shoot you myself before I let you dishonor yourself like that." he growled

Duo barked a laugh

"Thanks man, I knew I could count on you."

"I'm serious Duo, are you okay?"

"No." Duo sighed, "But I haven't been 'okay' in eight years."

"Duo, if you… we can't handle that again. _She_ can't handle that again. You're the only thing holding her together."

"I won't Fei. I made her a promise. Speaking of which, can you call her, tell her when we'll be in."

"Can't you just…"

"I haven't told her about Heero yet. I think it'd be better... if they met face to face."

"Never tell a lie."

"yeah, thanks man."

"Sure Duo. Chang out."

I stood in the hallway, my chest pounding_, What couldn't they handle again? What had happened? What had Duo done_? I wracked my brain trying to remember... _Five years ago, I'd just come back from off-planet, I'd caught wind that Duo had just been released from the hospital, some sort of accident… Had he… Done it on purpose? _

I slid the door open

"I'd wondered how long you were going to eavesdrop on me."

"I'm sorry, I…"

"What do you want from me, Heero?" His gaze was hard, but the pain was evident

I remained silent, what _did_ I want from him.

If I was going to disappear again, he was giving me the chance. Had been, since we took over the ship. That was why he hadn't told Relena, he was giving me a way to leave without hurting her again. Wufei had understood, that's why he'd been so concerned. Why had it taken me so long to figure out what Duo was doing?

"Duo I…"

"You what? You're sorry? You mean to hurt us? Didn't mean to hurt _her_? Well guess what Yuy, sorry doesn't cut it. Doesn't even come close to fucking cutting it. 'Take care of her' remember that? Well goddammit! I did my best! I did my goddamn best and she _still _cried, and I couldn't even come close to drying those tears. None of us could. We couldn't even dry our own. What the fuck Yuy! You just left us! Do you have any idea how long I traced your ass across the planet?"

"3 years." I said softly

Duo stiffened

"I knew. I knew you were tracking me. But I…"

"You were dropping breadcrumbs, knowing I'd follow." Duo's eyes were blazing, I wondered momentarily if he'd shoot me this time, instead of just bashing me in the face. His knuckles were white and I could see the blood beginning to pool where his nails bit into his palms. "Was it just some game to you? How long could you keep that idiot Maxwell chasing his goddamn tail?"

"No Duo I never…" he cut me off

"Look Yuy, I don't know why the fuck you showed up again all of a sudden. And you know what, I don't fucking care. I'm done with you. So if you're gonna go, just get the hell gone. Before Relena and Quatre find out you were here."

For a moment, I almost considered taking his offer. But his eyes were so hollow. I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

"5 years ago, when you were hospitalized, you did it on purpose didn't you."

"Did what?"

"Don't 'what' me Duo, you tried to kill yourself! Why!"

"Keeping tabs were you? Why the fuck should you care? You left, remember!"

"Would you just shut up and listen to me for one fucking minute Duo!"

"You don't deserve that minute!" he shot back

I faltered, he was right. Again, he was right. But he stayed silent, he was going to give it to me anyway.

"I left those 'breadcrumbs', because I didn't want you to worry. I wanted you to know I was alright, that I was still around."

"Let us run around with all that false hope, and then crushed it. Just like that."

I flinched, but kept talking, while I could.

"I couldn't keep evading you." I said quietly, "You were getting too close, I could feel you falling into my rhythm. I knew if I kept trying to send messages to you, you'd get ahead of me. So I went off planet to lay low for a while."

"That's fuck up Yuy. When your trail suddenly went cold… " Duo shivered, I almost reached out, but stopped as he started talking again "Relena lost it. Quatre too. He feels too much. But the four of them, sitting in Relena's office, staring at me... Looking at me like I could somehow magic you back, like I hadn't spent the last three years trying! I couldn't take it. Not anymore. I thought I was done running and hiding, thought I'd finally learned to stand my fucking ground." He stared at his hands, at the stains only we could see, "How many lives have I taken? How the fuck could I fail at taking my own?"

"I read the hospital report." I said softly, he only grunted, he'd probably expected that of me. "Ridiculously high blood-alcohol levels, major contusions, a head injury, broken back, 8 broken ribs, shattered clavicle, massive internal injuries, punctured lung, punctured stomach…"

"A bottle of cheap whiskey and 190 miles an hour with no seat belt'll do that to you."

"You hit a tree?"

"Yeah."

"You hit it on purpose."

"Yeah."

"Because of me."

His eyes met mine then.

"Yeah."

"God dammit Duo! Why would you!"

"I swore to her I'd find you!" Duo was on his feet, "I made a promise! I promised I'd find you! We thought you were dead! And if I had to go to hell to find you, I was more than willing to fucking do it!"

I froze,

"I knew damn well why'd you left, _Mr. Odin Lowe_." he spit out the alias like a bad taste "I might be a fool but I'm not fucking stupid. You were trying to protect her, didn't want the pacifist to get caught up in a war she thought was over. A war that_ could_ have been over for you too if you'd ever learned to just _stop_ fighting!"

"She was in danger as long as I was present! You all were!"

"She survived the war just like we did Heero! And what about me? You could have trusted me."

"I did trust you. More than anyone else."

"Yeah. 'take care of her, Duo'. Would have meant more if we hadn't thought you'd up and died on us. If I hadn't thought you'd been killed. Because I wasn't there to watch your back! Because I was too weak for you to keep as your fucking partner!"

"I never thought that! I had more respect for you than anyone!"

"Really? Cause the way I remember it Yuy, you slept with me right before you punched the fucking hypodermic in my neck!"

_____________________

AN: these are un-beta'd so sorry for any mistakes (I'm sure there are several)


	6. Reunion

I froze

"Duo I..."

"Just, get out my face, Heero." He turned to stare out the window

"No. Duo you don't understand, we need to talk about this."

"I'm sorry," he spat, not looking at me "No word for eight years and NOW we need to talk? Give me a break."

"Duo, I knew I'd never be able…" I tried to think of a phrasing that wouldn't further embrace the idea that I was total creep, in the end I couldn't think of anything, so just pushed on. "I knew I'd never get past you, Duo. You sense me too well. And I knew if you tried to stop me, or worse, followed me, that I wouldn't… I wouldn't be able to tell you 'no'. I'm sorry Du..."

"Stop." His eyes were molten "You drugged me because I sensed you too well? You fucker! I was supposed to! I was your goddamn partner! Though apparently I wasn't good enough. You sure as hell blindsided me when you screwed me and then shot me up with Ketamine. Nice to know I was just a quick lay and your way out the door."

"I never thought of you that way!" I snapped, "Never. It almost killed me to leave you like that."

"Guess that makes 2 of us." He said quietly

I stilled, remembering his 'accident', "Oh god, Duo…"

"Stop! Please!" His shoulders drooped and he turned further towards the window "I can't... I can't do this anymore. Just leave me alone."

"Duo, just look at me… please." He jerked when I touched him, so I pulled my hand back, "please." I said softly.

Somehow his silent compliance hurt more than his punches. He turned slowly and met my eyes. The anger had vanished, instead, all the scars it had masked were laid bare, all the broken pieces of Duo's soul exposed in violet eyes. I flinched, _never_ had I seen him so defeated.

The moment I moved, his mask snapped back into place and he turned away with a humorless chuckle.

I turned to the door.

"Adios, Yuy." He snorted

"I'm not leaving." I said quietly, "I'm just making sure our _friends_ can't cause any trouble when they come too."

*****D*****

I let him go.

I'd spent so long looking for him, why'd it hurt so much to have him back?

Over 3 hours later I drifted back to the cockpit as we neared the Earth-sphere. Heero was already there, in the co-pilots seat. I didn't say anything as I slid into the chair and we ran through atmospheric entry and docking procedure.

_Funny_, I thought wryly, _how we don't need to speak. Even after 8 years…_

It felt like I was breaking.

*****H*****

I glanced at Duo, his face was drawn, his mask back in place. I couldn't settle the ominous feeling the pit of my stomach. I'd never intended to come back, what was I supposed to say to them? To Relena?

I couldn't even talk to Duo.

I took a deep breath as we docked, than wordlessly followed my one-time lover down the ramp.

Chang was waiting for us with a small detail of preventers. Duo spoke with him briefly. The Chinese man was taller, shorter than Duo or I, but still much taller than I remembered him. His black eyes flashed at me once, darkly, he jerked his head at his car. I nodded once and slid in. A few moments later, Duo and Wufei slipped into the front. The other preventers were handling our 'friends' from the night before.

We drove in silence.

I remembered, with a sharp pang, the morning I'd left. As we passed through the gate I stared at the same camera I'd stared down eight years ago.

I entered the palace behind Duo and Wufei; I could hear Quatre and Relena, though I couldn't see either past Duo's shoulders.

"Duo!" I heard Quatre exclaim as the long-haired American stepped past the entryway into the foyer.

"Hey Kitty-Quat." I inwardly cringed at his false smile "What are you doing here?"

"Like he'd really stay away after Relena called to say you were missing." Trowa scoffed, I stiffened, so he was here too. But that only made sense, where Quatre went, Trowa was bound to follow.

"I'm sorry Duo; I guess I panicked a little."

My heart skipped as I watched Relena step into Duo's arms. She looked… dwarfed… fragile, against his chest.

"Sorry about that Lena." He said, stroking her hair, "I didn't mean to miss breakfast with you, something… popped up."

"More like _someone_ popped up." Wufei growled, grabbing my shoulder and shoving me into view.

Relena's eyes looked like saucers and I took an involuntary step forward as her knees gave out. Duo's arms tightened around her as he stepped protectively between us.

"Oh Allah…" Quatre said quietly.

Trowa stood like a giant statue. I couldn't believe how tall he'd gotten. His green eyes flashed darkly between Quatre and myself.

"Duo…" Relena rasped, her fingers squeezing his arms

"Yeah." He snorted, "Tell me about it."

She took a minute longer to recover her footing; he released her and followed her gaze to me. I stood impassively.

"Heero Yuy." She spat my name like a venom.

I didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. I don't know what I'd expected, but a right hook to the nose hadn't been it. I reeled backwards, blinking.

Duo grinned.

My hand clamped over my bleeding nose.

"Someone get him cleaned up. I'll be in my office." Relena snapped and stomped out.

I glared up at Duo

"You taught her that." It wasn't a question; the form had been identical to Duo's 'street fighting'.

He shrugged. "It was about time she learned."

"She's a pacifist."

"She's a _target_." His eyes narrowed.

I straightened. Eight years ago, I'd entrusted her safety to Duo in order to protect her innocence. Could I really stand here and question his methods now?

I nodded and moved towards the bathroom. Duo and Wufei followed me. Quatre and Trowa left to follow Relena.

"I'm not going to run." I glared at them in the mirror where I stood hunched over the sink.

Wufei and Duo glanced at each other, "Go ahead Maxwell. She probably needs you right now." Duo nodded and then left.

Chang whirled on me.

"What you doing here Yuy!? What do you want!?"

I concentrated on washing my face and pushing my nose back into place.

"I hadn't meant to come back."

"So why did you? Duo gave you the chance."

"I _know that!"_ I snapped, "Maybe that's why…"

"You dishonorable asshole…" Wufei hissed, his fist clenching the front of my shirt and dragging me eye to eye, "He believed in you. More than any of us! Relena kept searching, kept trying to find leads because she _understood_ it'd break him to give up on you."

"I know."

"We watched him torment himself for three years! Three fucking years he searched for you! Every lead! Every long-shot! He was obsessed! And then you fucking vanished…" I'd never seen Wufei this angry, "We almost lost him!" he screamed, throwing me back against the wall, "Because of you!"

My gaze dropped, "I know."

"You know." Wufei snarled "You know everything don't you Yuy." He took a step forward.

"Wufei." We both looked up, Trowa towered in the door, "Don't kill him just yet, I haven't gotten my lick in." The giant brunette strode in, and looked steadily at me. Piercing me with his visible eye.

"Do you have any idea the pain you caused Duo."

I had no answer.

He wasn't looking for one anyway.

His voice dropped, deadly soft, "Do you realize Duo's pain is Quatre's pain. We could have lost them _both!"_ I barely saw his fist move before it punched through my gut, my head snapped against the wall and I slid to one knee. I couldn't argue with them.

I forced myself back to my feet, waiting for another blow.

It never came.

I looked to the door.

Quatre.

He didn't meet my eyes. Just looked at Trowa, china-blue eyes brimming with tears. Trowa moved quickly, ushering him out of the room. Wufei stared pointedly at the door. I moved to follow them.

He strode after me.


	7. Special Delivery

AN- Thanks to those who have reviewed! I have very sweet readers, and a mildly malicious one who want to see Heero beg. LOL's! You guys are great!

In other news: I just dyed my hair pink. (Fricking SWEET!!)

And oh yeah, because I haven't done one of these in a while

-Standard disclaimers apply – I don't own. I have no money.-

***

When we entered Relena's office her face was tear streaked, but composed. Duo sat on the corner of her desk poking at a package. His violet eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Who'd you say this was from?" he asked softly,

"I don't know." She sighed, "It was just left here a little while ago."

"Was there a note?"

"It just said Heero."

I stiffened, "Duo!" I was moving before I could think

He'd already caught on. The long haired American pitched the small package towards the window as he shoved Relena under her desk.

I remember throwing myself to cover her. I remember a weight on me.

A blinding flash.

Heat.

A deafening shatter.

And then it was over.

I shook my head, trying to get my bearings, the weight on me shifted.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up at Duo, he'd… protected… me? No Relena. He must have been trying to protect Relena.

But his eyes were locked on mine. "'Ro?" his voice was barely a whisper, he slumped forward. I caught him against my chest. His back was wet. I pulled my hand away.

Blood.

"Duo!" I screamed.

"Duo!?" Relena was up staring frantically

The others had recovered and were already moving. Wufei screaming into his cell phone for Sally Po, Trowa knelt beside me, and helped me move Duo's prone form to the desk. Where Trowa pulled the knife from, I didn't see. But it didn't surprise me to know he had one on him at all times either. He sliced open what was left of Duo's shirt and the four of us surveyed the damage.

Several shards of glass had embedded in his back, and he appeared to have sustained first and second degree burns, though thankfully, the desk chair had taken the brunt of the heat, or it could have been much worse.

"His injuries don't appear to be life threatening." I said, breaking the silence. My voice was steady, but my knees felt ready to give out at any moment.

"Callous as always Yuy." Wufei snorted.

Relena scowled as she busied herself brushing a strand of chestnut hair from Duo's face.

"'Ro…" he mumbled softly

"Duo."

He jerked awake,

"Heero! You asshole! What the fuck was that! Who did you tell you were coming here!" He was swaying on his feet, but still looked ready to punch me again.

"I didn't tell _anyone_ I was coming here." I glared, "I wasn't even sure myself until I got into Wufei's car."

"Then why the fuck would someone send a bomb here?"

"That's a good question." Wufei mused, "Standard operating procedure would have been for me to take the two of you back to the Preventers Headquarters. If they wanted Heero dead this quickly, they should have sent it there."

"And Heero's been out of communication with Relena for the past eight years, it wouldn't necessarily have been a logical assumption that he would come to see her now, given that he hasn't in the past." Trowa eyes were dark

"Unless it wasn't meant to kill Heero…" Said Quatre quietly, "I don't think… the bomber intended for Heero to be anywhere near the blast. I think it was meant to send him a message."

"By killing Relena?" Duo asked, quirking an eyebrow "Like Trowa said he hasn't come to see her in eight years. Why would anyone assume he even gave a da-"

"Quatre's right." I said, cutting him off, "That bomb wasn't intended to _kill_ _me_, it was to make sure I keep moving. I shouldn't have come back."

"Are you going to tell us what's going on here?" Duo demanded

"No."

His fist clenched and his jaw set, and Sally Po walked through the door.

"Heero Yuy." She said, her eyes narrowing, then she saw Duo.

"Dammit Duo! Again? What were you doing?"

Duo beamed at her, "Playing kick the can with a pipe-bomb, what else would I be doing."

"This has _got_ to stop." She glared. "Everyone out! Heero you stay."

"Why Heero?" Duo whined

"Because he's going to be my assistant. Now get your butt stretched across that desk."

Duo grinned, "That sounds like an invitation, Sally. Does Wuffers know you're so kinky?"

I hid a chuckle behind a cough.

"Now. Maxwell."

"I'm moving." Duo slumped across the desk, Sally pulled out a pair of tweezers and several rags and bandages, and a dish to put the shards in.

"Heero go get me some warm water." She said, handing me the bowl.

"Hai."

I could hear Relena and the others' voices drifting from the library as I went to follow her instructions

"…shouldn't have come back." That was Wufei

"But Duo…" it was Relena, "Duo's happy Fei. Have you seen his eyes."

"Duo's confused." Wufei snapped,

Trowa snorted, "And when is that _not_ the case?"

"Relen's right though." Quatre, "Duo's confused yes, and he's hurting, in more ways than one, but he's _also_ happier than he's been in eight years. Whether we like it or not, the fact remains, Duo's still in love with Heero."

"It's been eight years!" Wufei was practically shrieking

"Yes but…" Quatre started

"This _is_ Duo we're talking about." Trowa said softly, "He can be a little slow on the uptake."

"Eight years isn't '_a little'"_

"I think it's kind of admirable," Quatre said quietly, "Even after eight years, he still never stopped loving him. Can you imagine anyone else being so steadfastly loyal?"

"Ancestors! You're worse than a woman Quatre."

Relena cleared her throat.

"What about you Relena?" Trowa again

"What about me?"

"How do you feel?"

"About Heero? I gave up on Heero _before_ he left. He felt it his duty to protect me, but he was never interested in me romantically."

"Then why'd you keep helping Duo to chase him?"

"I… Chasing Heero gave him… a… purpose. I was afraid that without a mission, he'd lose himself. But after the accident… I think in my meddling I pushed him too far."

"Why this time? Duo said you sent him a file?"

"I did. I knew it would hurt him. It hurt _me_. But I thought if he had Heero's trail to follow again, he might recover some of the fight lost from him."

"Troublesome onna." Wufei snorted

"I'd say it worked." Trowa chuckled, "Did you _see_ the shiner Heero's sporting? How much you want to bet that was a gift from Duo."

"That wasn't a bad punch _you_ threw either Relena." I could almost _see_ Quatre's eyes laughing

"Nice to know all those hours spent sparring with Duo have paid off."

I returned to Sally with the water.

"Good. Shirt off."

"What me?"

"No, Duo again." She snorted, "yes you.

"Why?" I asked, my eyes drifting to where Duo lay impassively watching, I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Judging by your face, and the way you're moving, I'd say you've come under a little… friendly fire?" she cast a sidelong glance at Duo.

He began whistling and cast his eyes down at a knot in the desk.

"Now." Sally said, Duo's eyes drifted back up. "Good." She tossed me a rag. "Now wash the blood off him. _Gently_ mind you, I don't want you aggravating his burns."

I swallowed once, then moved to do as I was told.

Duo flinched when I touched him

"Sorry." I said quietly

He grunted.

I wondered just what the hell Sally was playing at. It wasn't like her to pass off a patient to someone else. She busied herself poking at my bruises, several of which, my eye included, were quite swollen.

When she finished prodding at me, she tossed me a salve and roll of gauze.

"When you've got him cleaned up, smear this on him and wrap him up. Do that twice a day for the next several days till those burns are properly scabbed over. And Duo,"

"Hmmf."

"Take it easy for a change. Okay?"

"Yeah yeah, thanks Sal."

Sally just nodded, then left the room. I stared at the salve and bandages in my hands.

"I can do it myself." Duo started, reaching towards the salve.

I jerked it away from him, "Baka! It's on your back, how the hell are you going to do it yourself."

"I can reach."

"Lay back down."

"I can…"

"Lay back down." I pushed his shoulder back to the desk.

"No. I can do it myself." He started sitting up again. I didn't think about it before I hopped up on the desk, straddling his hips and pushing his shoulder back to the desk again. I popped the lid off the salve with my free hand, and set to work smearing it over his burns. He continued to struggle beneath me.

The other's walked in. Trowa quirked an eyebrow

"You two certainly made up fast."

"I have to get a new desk now." Relena sighed

"This isn't what it looks like!" Duo wailed.

I paused momentarily confused, then it dawned on me. We were both shirtless, I was straddling him across Relena's desk, and thanks to Duo's struggling, we were both covered in the oily salve. For a split second I _wished_ it had been what it looked like. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and jumped off Duo, who scurried to sit up. His face was a brilliant shade of crimson, matched only by Quatre's blush.

"Sally told me to…"

"Rape Duo on my desk?" Relena smirked

"No! the salve and…"

Quatre was having the fits trying to contain his giggles. Even Wufei wasn't bothering to hide his grin. Duo snorted a laugh too, before bursting out into a full bodied laugh, his violet eyes sparkling with tears.

My heart leaped into my throat. I'd forgotten how much I loved the sound of his laughter.

I glanced around, they were all laughing. I felt so… removed from them. Quatre and Relena were falling helplessly on one another, Trowa almost doubled over, Wufei was crying into the bookself.

And beside me, Duo… The only person I'd ever met who could glean so much enjoyment from laughing at himself.

I completely forgot myself as I reached out catching his chin, his violet eyes widened as I crushed my lips against his.

I was drowning. I'd forgotten his scent, how he tasted, how pliable his mouth was. His lips were slightly parted, perhaps from his surprise, I didn't care. I slipped my tongue between them darting into his mouth. A low growl rumbled in his throat, but he responded with his own tongue. Leaning into my kiss he battled me for dominance, for one brief moment, the whole world fell away. I felt like I was pouring the loneliness of the past eight years into that kiss, like maybe I could kiss away all the scars Duo carried.

Quatre's startled squeak jerked us back to reality.

The four against the wall stared at us, eyes wide. Duo's hand flew to his mouth, he glanced frantically between me and the four against the wall.

"I'm sorry." I gasped, and fled from the room.


	8. Asexual?

"Heero!" Quatre tumbled out the front door behind me, catching my hand. "Heero wait!"

I skidded to a halt on the manicured grass, but didn't look at him.

"Please don't run Heero."

"I just…"

"Made Duo's _decade_?"

"He's going to kill me." I sighed, my free hand coming up to gingerly poke at my injured eye.

Quatre beamed "Probably. And if he doesn't Trowa and Wufei most certainly will. But that doesn't mean he isn't really happy."

I glanced at him incredulously, my impending demise hardly sounded like something to be so chipper about, but then again, we were talking about Quatre and Duo here.

I sighed, "My presence is putting all of you in danger."

"Good." Quatre chirped, his voice was light, but his blue flashed in warning, "We've been pretty bored lately anyway. Let's go for a walk while the others bandage up Duo." He waited for me to nod in agreement before letting go of my wrist.

"Do you know when the last time I heard Duo laugh was? I mean really laugh, not that weird, deranged, Shinigami thing he does."

I waited, knowing he'd tell me whether I responded or not.

"The night you left."

"I'm sure he's laughed since then. He's Duo. He's…"

"You're not really going to tell me he's 'happy' are you Heero? Because while I've refrained from hitting you so far, I swear I will drop you if you say something so monumentally insensitive."

I swallowed, it seemed I'd managed to forget, in the years I'd been gone, the cherub-faced Overlord-of-Hell, that was Quatre Raberba Winner.

"You should know better than anyone, that mask he wears."

I sighed, "I know."

"Then stop pretending that you've got nothing to do with it."

"I'm not. I just… he hasn't forgiven me."

"Of course he hasn't. None of us have. And not one of us will do so lightly either. But just because we haven't forgiven you for leaving, doesn't mean we aren't glad to have you back. We're your _friends_ Heero, and we've _missed_ you. Try to remember that."

I nodded. Quatre studied my face a moment longer, then nodded. "Good." He skipped ahead a few steps then turned back to face me.

"You love Duo. Don't you? That's why you came back."

***meanwhile (back at the ranch)***

"Ow." I whined

"Hold still." Trowa grumbled, "Or I'll get Wufei to come do this. And stop… being such a dipshit. Lift your arms a little would you."

"You're so much nicer when Quatre's around."

"Wufei-"

"No no! I'll be good! See! See!" I raised my arms to let him mummify my torso.

"So…" Relena asked, her blue sparkling.

I groaned, that was never a good sign

"So…"Trowa smirked, as he continued wrapping.

Wufei pushed himself off the wall and advanced.

"So…" he grinned. I swallowed. I'd heard of grins like that before, they were usually sighted by swimmers, and had a fin on top.

"So… so what?" I asked, desperately wishing Trowa would hurry the hell up and finish.

"It would appear Heero's got a thing for our little Duo." Trowa grinned maliciously

"So it would seem." Wufei nodded

"And here I always thought the guy was A-sexual." Relena smiled, "Whatever shall we do with you two?"

Alarms blared in my head _Politician! Politician!_

"What… um… I…"

***

I heard Duo's scream as Quatre and I approached the front door

"HEERO YUY! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"


	9. Relena's Plan part I

My steps faltered and I shot a pleading glance at Quatre. He chuckled,

"Alright, one more pass around the fountain and then you have to go in and save him from the others."

"Duo and Relena, they've gotten… close?"

Quatre nodded thoughtfully "You could say that. After his accident, when Duo realized, that we needed him… He couldn't bring you back to us, so instead he threw his heart into trying to fill your shoes. _Especially_ with Relena. After all traces of you vanished... well, as much as he resented your leaving, he wanted to honor what you'd said in your note, like it was your dying wish or something. I think protecting her was his way continuing to love you."

"That's illogical."

"When had Duo _ever_ been logical?"

It was true. His blatant disregard for the reality presented before him was a part of his charm.

"You should really talk to him."

"I tried that this morning." I growled pointing to my blackened eye.

"I mean without your fists. Really talk to him. He's not going to just forgive you on his own. He's spent the past eight years walking around like a damn robot." Quatre started to laugh

"I fail to see what's so funny about this."

"Duo the robot… he kinda acted like you, during the war." Quatre grinned even wider, "it was hard to get a rise out of him. He goofed around less, lost his spark." Quatre's smile had faded, "It hurt to watch."

"I'm sorry."

"You should say that to Duo."

"I have. He doesn't believe me."

"Then you should say it in a way that he can't help but believe you."

"And how exactly do you propose I do that?" I sent him a sidelong glance

"You could stay."

I stopped in my tracks.

"Did you forget already that Duo is in there, at the mercy of Trowa and Wufei's _administrations_ because someone decided to mail a bomb to me?"

"Actually," Quatre smirked "Duo is in there at the mercy of Trowa and Wufei's _administrations_ because you kissed him and then bolted from the room."

I felt the heat rising to my face

"Speaking of which," Quatre chirped unsympathetically, "It's about time you went in to face them all again."

I sighed and in an almost-Duo-fashion _slumped_ through the door.

Trowa and Wufei were standing just outside Relena's office door, Quatre raised an eyebrow at Trowa. I'd never been able to read the silent communication that passed between them, but Quatre's eyes darted to me, then he nodded and pushed inside. I moved to follow him, but Wufei's hand shot to my chest.

"He doesn't want to see you."

I nodded once, "Understood." and tried to push past him again. Trowa's hand joined Wufei's holding me back.

"Duo, doesn't want to see you, Heero."

"I understand that. But I need to talk to him anyway."

"Sorry." Trowa said quietly,

"We need you to leave him alone." Wufei hissed.

_What the hell!? Were they saying I wasn't _allowed_ to see Duo?_ I glared, this was getting annoying. Quickly.

"Duo!" I yelled, kicking once at the door. "Stop hiding, and get your ass out here!"

****

Quatre looked worriedly at Relena.

I looked worriedly at Relena.

Relena looked smug.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Quatre asked

"Yeah," I piped, my brow still wrinkled in confusion, even though she'd already explained her 'plan'. "I mean… weren't you guys just telling me that I need to talk to Heero?"

"Yes, and you _do_ need to talk to him. But Duo, you've spent the past eight years chasing after Heero."

"That's not true!" I pouted, "I spent 3 years searching, and 5 years thinking he was dead."

"Whatever, my point is, it's always _you_ doing the chasing, and Heero doing whatever the hell he wants. It's time the tables were turned and he chased after you for a change."

Quatre chewed on his lip

"But what if Heero just gives up and leaves again?"

"Then he doesn't deserve Duo anyway." Relena snapped, then glanced at my stricken face and softened, "That won't happen." She said, squeezing my hand, "This is Heero. Have you ever seen him give up on _anything_? Trust me, once he starts looking at making up with Duo as a mission, _nothing_ we do is going to stop him." Her grin turned evil then, "But we should certainly put all our efforts into trying."

Quatre started to chuckle then too.

"You know, that sorta sounds like fun."

I swallowed. Between the two of them, I wasn't sure which I feared more.


	10. Relena's Plan part II

"Um… guys maybe I should just hear him out? You know, adult-like and everything." I didn't like the look passing between Relena and Quatre, nothing good ever came out of looks like that.

"C'mon Duo." Relena said grabbing my arm. "Let's get going shall we?" she turned to Quatre, "Come on Quatre, Trowa and Wufei will keep Heero occupied for a little while."

"Of course." He smiled.

"God help me…" I looked skyward.

We slipped through the "secret passage" in Relena's wall. It wasn't much of a secret, especially not from Heero, he was the one who'd ordered the thing to be installed. It dumped us out on the 2nd floor landing. Relena tugged me along to my room, where I collected my duffel and threw on a new shirt before we headed down to the garage.

"I'll drive." Quatre offered as we slid into the sedan, Relena in her usual seat in back and I riding shotgun next to Quat.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"I've…" Quatre blushed, "I've got a small place, about an hour from here. It's listed under an alias, and I bought it in cash. Someone like Heero'd find it eventually I'm sure, but it'd take a little digging. Maybe enough time for you to recover a bit, and to think about… things."

"What do I need to think about?" I asked, turning to look at Quatre

"Whether you really want to take him back or not."

"Take back?" I snorted "Heero was never mine to begin with."

Relena sat silently in the back seat, but I could feel her eyes on me. Her hand reached forward to squeeze my shoulder, I cupped my hand over hers. I didn't have to look to know the worried look on her face.

"Don't frown like that Princess." I said turning my head to stare out the window, "It'll give you wrinkles."

"Duo, if this… plan of mine is going to hurt you."

"No." I said, giving her hand a squeeze, "I think I'm grateful not to have face him again so soon. I think it's better I run and hide… than say something I'll regret later."

Relena nodded, gave my shoulder a final squeeze and then sat back.

We drove in silence, heading for a small fishing town along the coast.

"How long till we get there?" I asked

"I'd say about ½ an hour, why?"

"Just wondered." I fumbled under the dashboard and pulled out a small tracking device, switching it off before dropping it in the cup holder.

I could feel Relena glaring, "Are ALL my cars tracked Duo Maxwell?"

I glanced at her sheepishly, "Yes."

She huffed, "You don't have to do that."

I grinned, "It makes it easier for the guys when I'm not around."

She shook her head. Quatre grinned.

Several minutes later we arrived. The house was a little A-frame set back in the woods. Quaint, cottage looking,

"You got someone who maintains this place?" I asked

"Mrs. Greirson, she lives in the village. Every two weeks, or after a storm, she comes out to clean the place, she keeps me updated on its maintenance."

"What made you buy it?"

Quatre's blush was back

"It… was a present… to Trowa." He said quietly, "He's always talked about wanting a small place, somewhere secluded, next to nature. Someplace, where we could just be ourselves. Get out of 'the circus' as he calls it."

"I'd say this is it." I grinned, looking around the homey place.

Quatre nodded, "We call it 'the bungalow'."

"It's beautiful Quatre." Relena smiled, poking around the kitchen.

"Ah, right. In the village here I'm just 'Alex'. We should probably think of another name for you as well Relena."

"Rachael." She said quickly

Quatre raised an eyebrow

"It was my adoptive mother's name." (1)

I looked at Quatre, "What do you call Trowa?"

"Troy."

I pointed to myself, "Do I get a nickname?"

Quatre nodded, "It's probably best, people might recognize the name Duo Maxwell from the OZ footage during the war."

I grimaced at the reminder of my epic-screw-up, but nodded.

"I'll be Mathew then."

"Why Mathew?" Relena asked

"It was Father Maxwell's name." I said quietly (2)

The others smiled,

"Come on." Quatre said, tugging at my sleeve, "We need to stock up on food and I'll show you around the village. Oh, and introduce you to Mrs. Greirson so you two won't startle each other when she shows up to clean next week."

"You won't be staying then?" I asked, a little disappointed, I already knew the answer. Relena's sudden absence would cause too much of an uproar, if it hadn't already, and Quatre had his father's company to run.

"Wufei's volunteered to come stay with you." Relena said quietly, looking a little guilty

"Wufei did?"

She nodded, brightening as she saw my smile

"He said he had some vacation time to use up anyway."

"That's awesome!" I cheered, "Me and Fei'll have all sorts of fun."

"Don't knock my hide-a-way down please." Quatre laughed, leading the way down a shaded trail that took us straight to the heart of the village.

The town was just like the house, quaint, like something out of a history book. I smiled and skipped behind 'Alex' and 'Rachael'.

We spent the afternoon exploring and I met Mrs. Greirson, she reminded me a lot of Sister Helen, we took to each other right away. She had a grandson about the same age as some of the kids from the orphanage. He tagged along with us as we continued our tour of the village."

Early evening, groceries in tow, we dropped Billy Greirson back at his grandmother's house, I promised to visit again soon.

Then made our way back to the 'bungalow'. We ate dinner out on the veranda beneath several strings of tiki-lights before Quatre and Relena decided they had better be going before Trowa and the others began to worry.

"Wufei will be here tomorrow." Quatre smiled giving me a quick hug before heading to the car.

Relena looked at me sadly,

"I'm sorry about all this Duo, if I'm meddling again…"

"You're not Lena. Really. I'm grateful for the break, and I've already made a couple friends. Maybe it'll be nice to hang out dirt side for a while. Space gets lonely sometimes, you know? Take care of yourself now. I don't really like the idea of you and Quatre going off by yourselves."

"Quatre can more than handle himself." Relena smirked, "He's a Gundam pilot too you know."

"I know."

"And you said yourself I was improving." She smiled, giving me a playful punch in the shoulder,

"Right right, you are, you are." I laughed

"I'll see you later Duo." She went up on her tip-toes to kiss my cheek, then hurried after Quatre.

I sighed as I watched them drive away, then slumped back inside to unpack.

****R****

"I really hate leaving him." I said softly

"He'll be alright. He just needs to take it easy. And he'll have Wufei to look after him."

I nodded, "Of course, you're right." I twiddled with my hair. "Do you think I'm meddling too much?"

Quatre laughed, "I think we all are. But I think… time… is what's best for Duo right now."

"Funny how time seems to be at the core of everything. Eight years, and now Heero's finally back, and we're forcing more time on Duo to decide if he wants that or not? Somehow it all seems so messed up."

Quatre laughed humorlessly "I doubt there's anything about any of _us_ that isn't 'messed up', and you're just guilty by association."

I smiled grimly, "Maybe." I sighed, "poor Duo."

We returned to the palace in silence. The relief on Trowa's face that minute we walked through the door was obvious. Quatre strode quietly into his arms.

Heero was fuming.

"Where's Maxwell."

"Safely away from _you_." I snapped, "He's got a lot to think about."

"I need to talk to him."

"Tough beans Heero Yuy." I glared, shoving my closed fist at him, he glanced at me warily before offering a palm. I dropped the inactive tracker into his hand and turned on my heel, leaving the room.

"Relena." He growled, stalking after me. I caught Wufei's eye as I led Heero into my office. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it was for you and Quatre to go driving around without some kind of security monitoring on you?"

"Oh give it a rest Heero!" I yelled, stomping farther away from the trio in the foyer. I wondered idly if Heero realized I was manipulating him into arguing with me. But it didn't matter, it wouldn't take long for Wufei to slip out and go to join Duo, even if Heero figured it out right now, Wufei was probably already gone.

I thanked the gods the opportunity for Wufei to depart had presented itself so quickly. I didn't like the idea of leaving Duo by himself.

Dumb I know, considering he was a deep-space delivery boy who floated alone weeks at a time, and did just fine. But the wounds in his heart had just been reopened, a small part of myself worried he might hurt himself again.

Ah! I needed to focus on fighting with Heero right now, not that that was hard, I was still furious with the man. The longer I could keep him busy, the better.

*****************************************************************

& (2) - NO IDEA on these names. I totally just made them up.

Also, I'm not sure that an A-frame actually COUNTS as a bungalow, which is usually a one story building, but if you consider the second floor to be 'in the roof' it doesn't count as a story and so it's still a single level house.

Yeah-yeah, REALLY LOOSE definition there. I don't care. I LOVE A-frame houses (they're SOOO CUTE!) and I love using the term 'bungalow' to describe a romantic hideout, and it's MY story, so back off!

XD


	11. Wufei

Disclaimer -Don't own Gundam Wing, Don't own "All eyes on Me"-Goo Goo Dolls

***W***

I met Relena's eye as she stomped past, Heero on her heels. They slammed into Relena's office.

"That worked well, didn't it?" Trowa said softly

Quatre grinned.

I nodded brusquely, "I'll see you later."

"Here. Keys." Trowa tossed me a keychain.

I raised an eyebrow

"Door. Car. Bike."

"I already have a bike."

"Yes, but Duo doesn't, and I don't want him hot-wiring mine." Trowa grinned, still too happy to have Quatre back where he could molest him to really pay attention to the fact that he was giving me permission to give Duo permission to borrow his motorcycle.

I nodded, "Right." and slipped out the door, sprinting across the lawn to my waiting transportation.

My Suzuki purred down the road and I made excellent time reaching the, "bungalow" as Trowa had referred to it, in about 45 minutes. I didn't see Duo, but the lights were on. I parked my bike and strode to the front door, not bothering to knock I let myself in. I could hear Duo in the shower, singing.

I froze. For an idiot who screamed all the time, he had one hell of a voice. I didn't recognize the song, but Duo liked to listen to archaic soundtracks, pre-colony nonsense and the like. It was beautiful but, sad.

I leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door to listen,

_You drown in deeper oceans_

_Inventing new religions_

_They smile and stab my back_

_I lie and have to laugh_

_And it won't take long to burn_

_All eyes on me_

_Through the nothing that you've learned_

_All eyes on me_

_And the things you chose to be_

_All eyes on me_

The water turned off, and Duo went to humming. I moved into the kitchen to wait for him, helping myself to the liquor cabinet.

Several minutes later, he wandered in, naked except for the towel wrapped around his waist. His ridiculously long hair loose and cascading in dripping chestnut falls down the front of his shoulder. Duo's got broad shoulders, not quite like Trowa's but broad enough, I guess I hadn't realized how slender he was despite them. He looked ethereal, despite his dumpy-slouched posture and shuffled footsteps. He was still humming to himself, his gaze was distant. I didn't think he'd noticed me sitting at the counter yet.

I cleared my throat.

"Duo."

"GAH!" Duo jumped like a rocket, landing back several steps in a defensive position, coiled, ready to spring in any direction. _At least he hasn't lost THAT._ I thought to myself.

"Damn! Wufei! You scared the hell out of me!" He grinned sheepishly, I shook my head.

"Idiot. What were you so spaced about anyway?"

"Sorry, guess I was just thinking about today, seems like forever ago I was on that ship, you know?"

I sighed, "I suppose that's reasonable."

Duo grinned, "I can't believe you're taking vacation time to come pal around with me!" he skipped to the fridge, pulling out a beer before joining me.

"I'm not here to pal-around." I growled, and immediately regretted it.

He downed almost half the can before coming up for air. "I'm not going to try and kill myself again. I don't need a babysitter."

"Who said anything about my coming here for you anyway?" I sneered, "I'm here because I need a goddamn vacation. Now shut the fuck up and hand me that bottle of vodka."

Duo broke into a laugh, "Right, right. Here."

I smiled, and held up my glass

"Cheers." Duo grinned, tapping his bottle against the rim. We drank in silence, Duo fiddling, _annoyingly_, with his hair.

I glanced over, suddenly remembering his burns.

"We should re-bandage your injury."

"Hn." Duo grunted, staring off into space again.

I refrained from punching him for you his Yuy-esque response and went to grab the medical supplies Sally had sent with me.

Duo sat silently sipping his beer while I re-wrapped his back. I stifled a yawn.

"Where are you sleeping?" I asked

"Couch upstairs."

I nodded, "I'll take the one down here than. I'll see you in the morning Maxwell."

"Right, 'night Fei."

He grabbed another two beers out of the fridge and slouched his way up the stairs. I heard the door slide open as he stepped onto the balcony, and the creak of him flopping into the hammock there.

I sighed and threw myself down on the couch.

_Dammit Yuy! Why him?_


	12. Red Lights and Red Herrings

Right so, I noticed an inconsistency in my last chapter… Duo starts with a beer can and then suddenly has a bottle. Way to go Me! MAGIC MORPHING BEER!!!

Perhaps I should consider a beta? Totally sad considering it's my damn job to edit things! It's okay, you can say it.

"Dear Chirichi, please proofread your shit before dumping it on us.

Thank you.

–signed, Everyone Else

Ah well, C'est la vie!

***D***

I flopped into the hammock, cracking open another beer.

It was a nice night out. A little lonely maybe, but nice; and damn the moon's pretty from earth. Like something… I dunno… heavenly… instead of a graveyard.

I stared at it, not really paying much attention to my drink, watching it filter through the trees, and that's another thing about earth. Trees. Huge, massive, ancient trees. They made me nervous at first, I'd never seen anything like them back on L2, but now… now I liked them. I forget when I decided it, but trees were a good thing.

Trees and the Moon, and Heero…

I sighed.

Heero.

What was I gonna do about him? The others all seemed so on the fence about it. I was pretty on the fence too I guess, right up until he kissed me.

Now I didn't know where I was. My chest felt tight, and I couldn't help the hope that sparked there. As much as I wanted to smother it, Heero'd kissed me, of his own volition. That meant something didn't it? I meant something?

I subconsciously twined my fingers into my still wet hair.

"It's hard to sleep with you creaking up here." Wufei gruffed from the doorway

"Fei? I thought…"

"You look too comfortable. Scoot over."

It took several minutes of shuffling and readjusting before we were both comfortably situated in the large hammock. But we managed eventually.

"You're thinking about _him_… aren't you."

I chuckled dryly.

"Yeah."

"Well stop. It's late, you've been going non-stop for almost 30 hours now and I'm not in the mood to deal with your moping. Give me some of that."

Fei stole my already jostled bottle and took a long swig.

"You can do better than that bastard Duo."

"Maybe…" I said soflty, "but do I want to?"

Wufei snorted.

"He disappeared for eight years Duo. Without a word, and even now we don't have any idea why he left or what the hell he was doing."

"Probably saving the world." I muttered

Wufei's eyes narrowed

"Do you really believe that?"

I chuckled mirthlessly

"I don't know. Maybe? It is Heero after all."

"What's to say he hasn't changed in eight years."

"What's to say he has? I mean, have I changed all that much, since you first met me?" I turned to meet his eyes.

"No." Wufei snorted, turning his head to stare at the sky, "You're still just as dumb as you look."

I was silent a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Right, right." I chuckled, popping open the last beer.

Wufei and I passed the bottle between us till we'd finished it off. Then we just lay there, lost in our own thoughts. Wufei fell asleep first, even though I was totally bushed.

I couldn't say it to him, didn't need to really. We both knew exactly why he'd come up. But it was nice having him there, all the same. The breeze was cool, Wufei was warm, and weight of him pressed against my side was… reassuring. It kept my thoughts from growing too lonely, even as Heero's eyes flashed across my mind. Even as that kiss tormented me…

Eventually Wufei's breathing lulled me to sleep.

***H***

I didn't realize till the next morning that Wufei was gone. The other's 'informed' me he'd gone to stay with Duo. Unfortunately, neither one of them was answering their phones, so I was unable to track their signal.

Relena'd set me up in the room next to the one Duo usually stayed in. I pulled up my laptop and hacked into the palace security system to pull up the records on the tracker that had been in Relena's car.

They'd headed east about 30 miles before the device had been disabled. It had taken Quatre and Relena several hours to return, but if that was because the drive was long or because they had stopped to sight see, I had no way of knowing.

Relena had brought the inactive tracker back to me, so they obviously knew I'd go through the records when Duo failed to return. So did that mean their eastward direction had been a fake-out? It was certainly a possibility, but right now my only lead was their eastward route. Duo of course, could be hiding out at any establishment along the way.

But Wufei had gone to join him, that information had been freely given and I believed it to be true. Taking into consideration Wufei's somewhat abrasive and highly anti-social personality, they would be somewhere private, and quite possibly owned, by Quatre.

I ran through a quick search of all Quatre's properties within a half a days drive. There were five. The two farthest seemed a bit of a stretch given the constraints of the time that had elapsed in their absence, I ruled them as "unlikely". The next two were homes to a couple of Quatre's sisters and their husbands, these I also ruled as "unlikely". Wufei and Duo both had issues with "intruding" into someone's home. That left me with only one. I snapped my laptop shut and strode out the door.

***Q***

Relena, Trowa and I all stood around Trowa's laptop.

"I told you it wouldn't take him long to pin Duo's living arrangements on me." I grinned at Trowa.

"Yes." He smiled ruffling my hair, "Too bad he's looking under the wrong name."

Relena shrugged,

"At least this goose-chase will keep him busy and out of our hair for the afternoon."

Trowa and I chuckled.

"Alight well, there won't be much to spy on till he gets back. Out of my office, I have work to get done." Relena pushed us both towards the door. "When are you leaving for L4 Quatre?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Dinner tonight at 8? Heero will have realized he's on a false lead and have returned by then."

I glanced at Trowa,

He smiled and nodded

"Sounds great," I grinned, "we'll see you tonight."

***H***

The Winner mansion I'd visited had proved itself to be a dead end, and after…persuading one of the guards to let me review the security footage of their estate, I ascertained with certainty that Duo and the others had not been there.

I arrived back at the palace where I was informed dinner would be served at 8 and Relena and the others were expecting my attendance.

I nodded an affirmative to the messenger and returned to my room. The afternoon had not, after all, been a complete waste of time as I had noticed that many of the intersections along the route the tracking device had been traveling were equipped with cameras.

I silently thanked whoever had thought to monitor the transportation beltways through a linked system. It didn't take long to hack into the system, and after a short while I found Relena's car. It appeared they had headed towards a small town called "Deep River", located on the coast.

I began pulling information on the town. Sifting through taxes and profiles, all was normal but one… a property purchased by one "Alexander Rowe", he'd paid in cash. Further digging proved him to have been non-existant prior to the Deep River purchase. The whole thing screamed of Quatre.

Duo was in Deep River, I was certain of it.

I glanced at the clock, 7:55. I would leave as soon as we finished eating.

I rose and went to join Relena and the others for dinner.


	13. Siren

Standard disclaimers apply - don't own GW, don't own "Black Balloon" &/or Goo Goo Dolls

***D***

Wufei and I had spent the day being led around town by Billy Greirson. Wufei had steadfastly refused to take on an alias while we were staying in Deep River, saying he had no reason to. His name had never been publicly released, so it was "unnecessarily complicated" to take on a false identity.

Talk about a stick in the mud. Just because you don't _NEED_ an alias doesn't mean you can't have one for the hell of it. Still, at least this way I couldn't slip up in front of Billy.

The kid was a blast. Wufei stuck around through lunch, then decided to spend the afternoon photographing the area. I never really pegged the guy for a hobbyist, but he's really good. He's even won a couple amateur photography contests, although, he didn't know he'd entered them till after the awards arrived in the mail. He had Quatre and Relena to thank for that one.

He went back to the bungalow to collect his camera, while I followed Billy to his grandmother's house to procure some fishing tackle from the garage.

We spent the afternoon in small cove not far from the bungalow, seated on a large rock that jutted up just before the depth dropped off. Billy informed me cheerfully that we were still on "Mr. Alex's" property, but that he had permission to come here to fish as much as he wanted. He spoke fondly of Quatre/Alex, and was fascinated by 'Troy', though mildly afraid of him.

"It's hard to know what he's thinking. His eyes are real deep and glossy, you know, like a wild animal."

I laughed,

"Yeah, something like that."

In the end, we didn't catch much, just a few small fish we ended up throwing back, it was getting close to sunset when I heard the shutter click. Instinctively I shoved Billy behind me, only to be reprimanded by Wufei's laughter from the shore.

"Jumpy, aren't you."

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a break." I glared as the kid and I waded back to shore.

"Catch anything?

Billy and I shook our heads, "Nothing worth keeping." I shrugged

"Well, Mrs. Grierson's up at the house, with a casserole."

"Alright!" I whooped.

Billy and I shot up the path, tripping over our tackle as we went. Wufei snorted and followed us stoically.

***W***

Duo and the kid talked a mile a minute all through dinner, most of what they regaled the old woman and with was nothing new to me. After all, I'd been there to photograph most of it. But the old woman smiled and nodded along, I noticed the warmth in her gaze as her eyes followed Billy and Duo.

_He's gotten himself adopted again._ I thought. Duo had a way of doing that; of wiggling into people's hearts without even realizing it, without _them_ even realizing it. I smiled at that. The bastard had wiggled into all our hearts during the war, and hadn't even known it.

I refocused on my food. The old woman's cooking was far superior to anything Duo or I could have concocted, and I prided myself on creating dishes that were edible. Duo, of course, would eat anything. I'd once caught him putting peanut butter and chocolate syrup on his scrambled eggs. I almost laughed at the memory.

When the old woman called it a night, both Duo and the kid pouted. I kicked him and his face broke into that goofy grin. I carried the dishes to the kitchen while Duo and his new best friend made plans for "after school tomorrow".

Duo went up to take a shower, then slid out onto the deck. I could faintly hear him singing again.

Duo's soft voice drifting down into the open winder however, wasn't the only sound I noticed. The cacophony of nocturnal noises that had accompanied our half-drunken swinging last night were eerily absent.

I toweled off my hands and slipped outside. Circling around the house I saw the figure making his way up the drive. My eyes narrowed, I knew that walk.

I appeared beside him, "Yuy."

He didn't react, but knowing Yuy, he'd spotted me before I'd spotted him, "Chang."

"What are you doing here?" _How the FUCK did he find this place in only a day!?_

"I'm here to see Duo."

"Then you're wasting your time. He's not ready to see you yet."

"Unacceptable."

"Unacceptable." I spat, "You know what's fucking unacceptable, Yuy? You. Now get the hell out of here." I shoved him off the path into the shadow of the trees.

He glared at me, then took another step towards the house and froze. I followed his gaze, Duo.

The idiot had his back to us, still singing softly as he reclined, shirtless, against the railing. His hair cascaded down his still injured back, hiding the burns that had scabbed over nicely.

_Baby's black balloon makes her fly_

_I almost fell into that hole in your life_

_And you're not thinking 'bout tomorrow_

'_Cause you were the same as me_

_But on your knees…_

He looked like something out of a fairy tale, or a wet dream. His pale skin glistened softly beneath the moon, the water droplets on his chest and arched neck almost seemed to glow in the cool light. The voice that echoed from his sensuous throat was deep and heady. Even I was captivated. Slender hands drifted up to start plaiting that impossibly long hair.

The siren's spell was broken as Heero took another step forward. I grabbed his arm.

"What do you want with him anyway? Why don't you just leave him alone?" I hissed

Something unrecognizable flashed across his face,

"I can't." he said, then was halfway across the yard, leaving me standing alone in the trees. He scaled the house and landed silently in front of Duo.

Duo started, the notes dying in his throat.

"Heero!?" he choked out, "Wha! How did? How did you find this place?"

"With minor setbacks. We need to talk."

"I don't wanna." Duo turned away, his arms folded across the railing.

Heero, tilted his head, then reached out and slowly began plaiting Duo's glistening hair back into its braid.

Duo stiffened, but didn't pull away.

I was surprised that Heero knew how to braid, but then, when I thought about it, he'd always seemed to have a thing for Duo's hair. Even during the war, he'd always found a reason to reach out and touch it, even if it was just a tug to get Duo to pay attention.

And now, that bastard was running his fingers through Duo's precious keepsake, knowing I was still out here! That bastard! I stalked back through the shadows and slipped back into the house. I'd hear if Duo needed help.

***H***

"Why are you here Heero?"

"I told you." I said, still carefully braiding his silky chestnut locks, "We need to talk."

"Are you going to tell me where you've been the past eight years?"

"I can't."

"Then I guess there isn't much to talk about."

He started to pull away, my hand shot around his waist, pulling him back against me. His skin was cool, and still damp from his shower. His lounge pants rode teasingly low on his hips, and the heady lavender scent of his shampoo wafted like an aphrodisiac and went straight to my libido. I almost groaned out loud as he shifted his weight, the perfect curve of his ass brushing against my crotch.

"Duo…"

He stiffened, he must have heard the need in my voice. His grin flashed wickedly, as he turned, _intentionally_ brushing the perfect curve of his ass against my crotch.

"What's wrong Heero? Pants too tight?"

"Duo…" I started, but he was moving away.

Wufei stood in the doorway glaring daggers, my knees almost gave out as Duo slid against him, his arms draping around Chang's shoulders as Wufei's arm curled possessively around his waist.

It stung.

Worse than Duo's punch in the face.

"I'm, not leaving." I spit out.

"Good. Stay out here then." Wufei sneered, leading Duo back into the house.

***D***

Once we reached the inner hallway, where Heero couldn't see us, I sank against the wall.

"Thanks for playing along Fei."

The china-man's smile was feral, "Anything to land a blow on that dishonorable bastard."

I shook my head, "You hate him that much?"

Fei looked momentarily torn, "He abandoned his comrades. I cannot respect him for that."

"Yeah but, we still don't know his reasons?"

"Is there any reason he can give that will erase the suffering you've endured over the past 8 years?"

My head dropped, "no."

***W***

Perhaps I was being too hard on Duo. I put a hand on his shoulder, "I will continue this charade as long as you deem necessary. For tonight we should get some sleep. You can have the couch, I think I prefer the chair."

"Right. thanks Fei."

I started to move towards the stairs, Duo pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the bathroom

"Are you alright?" I asked

"Yeah, I just… gotta take care of something." He said quietly

It was then I noticed how stiffly he was walking.

My palm smacked against my forehead, "idiot!" I muttered as I heard the shower turn back on.


	14. Shower

Right, so, second chapter in like... 2 hours... you lucky persons you.

and oh yeah,

**YAOI SMUT!!!** -- there's your warning.

xoxo  
-Chi

***H***

I flopped into the hammock. I could hear the shower running, it muffled the sound of Duo's moan. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it. _Duo was… with Wufei? When had that happened?_ It didn't seem possible, I'd always thought Wufei was straight, but then again, I'd always considered myself straight, with everyone except Duo.

_Dammit!_ What was I still doing here? For Duo? Duo didn't need me, he had Wufei, but hadn't Quatre… my brain flashed back to the conversation I'd overheard,

"_Even after eight years, he still never stopped loving him. Can you imagine anyone else being so steadfastly loyal?"_

"_Ancestors! You're worse than a woman Quatre."_

"They're fucking with me." I growled. It was the only logical explanation, as Duo and Wufei had obviously not been together the day before. Swinging out of the hammock, I padded inside. Wufei was downstairs, I could hear him turning the pages of his book, I slipped into the bathroom, thankful Duo always turned on his shower-radio, as I stripped my clothes off silently. Duo didn't notice till I flipped the lock.

"Fei?"

"Hardly." I growled, yanking back to curtain and stepping under the frigid water.

"'Ro!?" Duo yelped, naked skin slapping against the wall as he stumbled back into the corner,

"Hn." I blocked his escape with one arm, while reaching over to turn up the heat with the other.

"Heero…" His violet eyes were wide, he'd have looked innocent, if those odd colored eyes hadn't been screaming with lust, if he hadn't been half hard and getting harder.

"Shut up Duo." I growled, "For once in your life, just shut up."

"G-get out!" he hissed, moving to shove me, but slipped slightly on the wet tile, and then I had him. His back pressed against the wall, his arms pinned above his head, his mouth trapped under mine.

"Bastard." He growled, clamping down on my lower lip, I smirked, and fought back, forcing my tongue between his lips to trace over the roof of his mouth. I worked my knee in between his thighs. He moaned, trembling involuntarily at my attentions. I smirked, and released his hands to leave mine free to tangle in that amazing chestnut hair.

"'Ro…"

"Shh." I slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him flush against me

"Fei's gonna…ah!" he quivered in my arms as I ground against him,

"Kill me. I know. Now shut up." I moved again, my arm keeping Duo's hips pressed against mine as I used my weight to press his shoulders back against the wall.

"'Ro." He moaned

"Yuy!" Fei's roar came through the door, "Goddammit! I know you're in there."

"Fuck off Chang!" I shouted back,

"Fe-!" I cut Duo off with another crushing kiss, my tongue sliding as far down his throat as I could manage and I moved my hips to grind sharply up him again.

He whimpered, his hips moving to, meeting my rhythm, increasing the friction between us. He quivered as I pulled him tighter.

Outside the door, I could almost feel Wufei fuming, I didn't care. Right now I was focused entirely on driving Duo over the top.

"'RO!"

Duo's cry came just as Wufei kicked through the door.

I glared triumphantly at the furious Chinese man standing amidst the splinters of Quatre's door. Duo was a ragdoll in my arms.

"Yuy…" he spat.

"Hn." I let my eyes drift over Duo, then back to Wufei.

***W***

Heero's posture, said everything he didn't. The way his eyes slid down Duo's limp frame, then rose back to mine in challenge said everything…_Mine._

Every fiber in my being wanted to rip his fucking head off.

Duo's violet eyes were wide, darting between Heero and myself.

"God dammit Duo!" I roared,

"I… he…" Duo's eyes dropped, "sorry Fei."

"Get yourself cleaned up and then get your ass downstairs!" I turned on my heel and stomped out.

***H***

Duo's eyes were downcast. I felt mildly guilty for creating a rift between them, but there would be time to patch that up later.

"We still need to talk." I said, letting Duo regain his feet, then reaching to shut off the water.

"Right now I need to talk to Fei." Duo growled miserably throwing a towel at me.

"You're still mad at me."

"Damn straight I'm still mad at you! Hell, maybe I'm even _madder_ at you! I don't know. You fuck me up. I don't know what I am. You left, no word, just gone. Now you just show up and practically screw me in the shower. On what planet is that okay? On what planet should I not be fucking furious!?"

I contemplated that a moment, what he said made sense, in a contradictory-Duo sort of way, but the fact remained that he'd responded to me.

"You responded."

"You caught me off guard."

"You reciprocated."

"I…" Duo's favorite mask slipped into place, and he gave me a disgustingly self-deprecating smile "who's to say I wouldn't have responded to anyone? I'm an L2 whore, remember?"

I slammed his shoulder back against the wall,

"Don't _ever_ say that again." I glared

"Whatever, Heero." He pushed away, "We can finish this later. Right now I need to talk to Fei. Unlike you, he's someone I can depend on, someone I trust. I'm not going to lose him because of _you_."


	15. What Sleeps Within

I headed down the stairs, Heero on my heels. Wufei was in the kitchen making himself a gin&tonic. I grabbed a beer, tossing one to Heero. He preferred scotch, and I knew it. But I wasn't feeling particularly generous.

He must have finally taken notice of just how thin the ice he was skating on was, because he didn't argue. Just nodded and popped the cap with his bare hand.

Wufei moved wordlessly into the living room and slumped lithely into an oversized chair that just screamed of Quatre. Heero sat at the far end of the couch, I perched on the arm closest to Wufei.

"Wufei I…"

"Can it Maxwell."

"But…"

He held up his hand, then his eyes rose to meet Heero's. I swallowed, Heero was probably the only being in existence that didn't flinch under Wufei's death-glare.

"Why are you here Heero?"

"I came to talk to Duo."

"By raping him in the shower?"

"It wasn't exactly unwanted." Heero smirked, tossing me a sidelong glance. I felt my face get hot, and as if my the blood rushing to my cheeks wasn't bad enough, it was rushing south as well.

"So I'd noticed." Wufei said flatly, pointedly ignoring my discomfort as he skewed Heero with another glare.

I fiddled with the bottle label

Wufei looked ready to snap. Instead, he took a deep breath and held it a moment before speaking again.

"If you're going to talk Yuy, get talking. Otherwise, get the hell out."

"I came to talk to Duo."

"If you talk to me, you can talk to Fei!" I blurted out, almost losing my balance on the armrest.

Heero studied me a minute with those Prussian blues. "Fine."

I relaxed slightly, I'd expected him to fight more. I didn't want to be in a room alone with him right now. I didn't know what I wanted, didn't know what I felt. And he made it fucking hard to figure anything out, so right now... I just needed Fei there.

Wufei and I waited, our eyes never leaving the damp tousled hair at the other end of the couch.

"Where were you?" I asked finally

***H***

"Where were you?"

Leave it to Duo to go straight for the questions that would put him in the most danger.

"I… was on a mission." I said quietly

"What mission?" I glanced up at Wufei as he spoke. He was studying me closely, waiting for the lies he was sure I was going to feed them. He didn't trust me. I couldn't blame him, but it was still a sharp jab in my side to see his distrust displayed so unabashedly.

"I'm not… I can't tell you. I… I left to keep you safe. If nothing else, at least believe that."

Wufei's eyes narrowed

"What the hell Heero!?" Duo was on his feet, his wet hair flying about him, only to swing back and cling to his face and neck.

"I can't tell you much because the mission isn't complete yet." I growled

_Stop asking me questions Duo! I know I'm being watched, I'm already risking so much in being here. If they thought you knew… they'd…_ I shook my head, my mind flashing back to the time Duo had been captured by OZ. _No. I won't fail to protect you. Not this time._

"Then why not let us help you? Three heads are better than one aren't they? Oy! Heero, are you even list…"

"Get down!"

The three of us hit the deck just as a line of gun fire cut through the room. Right where Duo'd been standing less than a second ago.

"God dammit!" Duo hissed, scowling at his shoulder. The wound was superficial, and barely bleeding, and I knew Duo was cursing more out of adrenaline than any pain from the miniscule grazing.

Wufei tossed him a gun from under the seat cushion, before collecting his own. I pulled mine out and the three of us began to move. Wufei to the window, Duo and I towards the door.

We heard a crash from upstairs, and I was turning just as the front door smashed in. Duo fired two shots into the guy. I disabled the intruder on the stairs and Wufei caught a third as he sailed through the broken window.

"You're behaving rather badly, aren't you Odin? It'd be a shame if I had to hurt him." A silky voice purred from outside.

Duo's gun was up, I put a hand on his arm, lowering it as I stepped past him and walked out the door.

***W***

"What the hell Yuy!" I growled, charging after him, Duo a half step behind me. We skidded to a halt on the porch. Heero stood in the center of the yard. Someone stood across from him, but I couldn't see his face. Only the glare of his glasses reflecting in the moonlight.

"Why are you here?" Heero growled

"I believe it is I who should be asking that question, Odin."

"I…"

"I thought you'd rid yourself of these trivial… attachments. Wasn't it you who said Maxwell would be a liability if involved? That he wouldn't be able to handle…"

"Enough!" Heero roared, "I know what I said."

His Prussian blue eyes glanced back at Duo. Duo's jaw was clenched, his hair clung to his slender neck and pale shoulders. I glanced nervously between the two.

"Duo…" Heero pleaded, "I…"

"You don't trust me. I get it Heero." Duo was moving without seeming to notice. His feet carrying him, while his face twisted into a painfully contorted smile. _The Jester,_ that's how he'd referred to it. We were all familiar with Duo's split personalities from the war. The masks he'd donned trying to cope with all the blood on his hands. "I'm just an idiot or jack-ass or whatever it was you were always calling me. I…"

"Duo!" Heero whirled, "My trusting you has nothing to do with this! I..."

"I see you haven't told him." the intruder laughed, "Why don't you, I'd love to see his reaction."

"What's he talking about Yuy?" I demanded

Heero took a deep breath, "Duo..." he said quietly, "The sickness... the one that swept through L2 when you were a child... It... it wasn't a virus..."

"What are you talking about? Of course it was! I..."

I shook my head, "The sickness was man-made. They were nano-machines, protein-based parasitic computers that hi-jacked the lymphatic system and ate away at the victims from the inside out."

"Solo..." Duo breathed, sliding to his knees, "You're telling me he was murdered. They all were, the whole gang." he trembled, "But why? Why would anyone want to kill them? They were just street kids..."

"L2 was an experiment." the man from the shadows interjected. Not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. I felt my blood boil. "They wanted to test the potency, the ability of the nano-machines to spread from person to person, the lethality. After all, nothing could be more effective in a closed environment like a colony then a biological weapon. You'd have an epidemic in no time."

"That's bullshit!" Duo screamed, lunging to his feet. Heero caught him, wrestled him back down.

"Ah, but that isn't the end of it. Tell him Heero. Tell your precious street rat why you left."

"This isn't necessary." Heero growled, pulling Duo protectively against him.

"What's he talking about Yuy?" I hissed

"Heero?"

"It's nothing." Heero said quietly, his prussian eyes burning as he glared at the man across the yard.

"You can tell him or I will, Odin. It'll make things... interesting."

"Heero?"

Heero swallowed

"Duo... you have them too... the nano-machines..."

Duo stiffened in Heero's arms

"Then why?"

"Father Maxwell. You survived because you found a place that gave you three square meals a day and a warm bed. It gave a boost to your immune system, allowing you to fend off the takeover until Professor G found you. He recognized the symptoms right away. They were too far integrated into you for him to be able to flush them all out. So he found a way to repress them instead, to render them inactive, perhaps in the hopes that the proteins would just be absorbed."

"And were they?" Duo's violet eyes were wide, his voice betraying just the slightest hint of hysteria

Heero's face was pained

"no." it was barely a whisper

"So then... these... microscopic robots are just... what... hibernating inside me? Like a computer in sleep mode?"

"That's... that's one way to look at it."

"And what..." Duo took a deep breath, collecting himself, "What does this have to do with you being gone for 8 years? Or with him?" he nodded toward our observer

"Allow me, Odin." the man stepped into the light. He was probably only ten or so years older than we were, sandy-blonde hair and sharp eyes behind small rectangular glasses. His clothes appeared tailor-fitted, and he carried an ornamental cane with what appeared to be an Ouroboros on the head. "My name is Maximilian Viatori, I work for a large pharmaceutical company who's name I will not disclose here. My company developed the 'L2 outbreak' as well as the 'vaccine' that ended it. However, like all vaccines, it works only preventively, those already infected, such as the gutter rat, cannot be helped."

"That doesn't explain your connection to Heero." I growled, glancing worriedly at Duo shaking in fury on the ground beside Heero.

"I'm getting to that." Viatori smiled, "You see, after getting wind of G's success in saving Duo, I did a little research. G's methods to inactivate our bio-weapon were remarkably simple, and after a while, I discovered a way to reactivate them. However, peace had been established by this time and the patrons who had once funded out bio-weapons research pulled their support and began publicly condemning us. Attempts were made to shut down my research facility, I needed to send them a message. I hired Heero."

"You dishonorable bastard! You blackmailed him!" I roared, the pieces clicking into place

Duo stared up at Heero,

"I'm sorry..." the Japanese man whispered softly

"I'll give you until midnight tomorrow, Heero. I'll meet you at the docks. I have a new mission for you."

Heero's eyes were cold, and he didn't look at Viatori, but his voice was clear

"understood."

*******

BAH!!! This chapter was hard to write! I had total writers block!

I stole the nano-machine virus from "Cowboy Bebop-The Movie" (Or "Stairway to Heaven" if you're from someplace cool that didn't stupidly rename it "The Movie")

and the name "Maximilian Viatori" was actually the name of my Cultural Anthropology professor.  
But seriously!?  
How cool is that name!!  
It sounds like either a playboy millionaire, or an evil scientist out for world domination!  
Kinda like Constantine Bakoupolis, my Creative Writing Prof. - who sounds like a wizard or dark mage bent on world domination, or something. LOL

ANYWAY, totally off track. Gosh I'm tired, glad this chappies done! whoo boy! but I think I'm back in the groove now, so hopefully more updates soon!


	16. Angels on the Moon

Don't own Gundam Wing. Don't Own "Angels on the Moon" - Thriving Ivory

* * *

"So you're telling me I'm a walking dead-man?" Duo demanded, stalking into the house

"No! God, no." Heero pleaded rushing after him, his hand closed around Duo's, halting him in the doorway, "As long the nano-machines remain inactive you're fine."

"But this Viatori creep can reactivate them?"

Heero sighed, "Hai."

"English, Heero."

"Yes."

Duo turned, violet eyes flashing, that ridiculous hair whipping wildly about him, catching the moonlight, dark waves against pale skin, he looked… sensuous, like a siren out of Greek mythology. My mind flashed back to his singing earlier, perhaps he WAS a siren out of Greek mythology.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Heero looked completely entranced, I would have found it ridiculous and disgusting if he'd worn that slack jawed expression for anyone else. But as it was, I could sympathize…

My preferences for the fairer sex aside, it remained, that the only person in the world, who didn't realize how breathtakingly gorgeous Duo Maxwell was, was Duo Maxwell.

Whatever retort had been forming on Duo's lips as he turned, died as he met Heero's eyes.  
"W-what?" He asked, taking in involuntary step back and reaching instinctively for his tangled tresses.

I shook my head and then shoved past them. If these two morons were going to stand around getting gooey on one another, I was going to need another drink!

"wha… Fei!?" Duo scrambled after me

"Get a clue Maxwell, and probably a shirt while you're at it. Otherwise Yuy's going to jump your ass again."

Heero growled, but didn't deny it. I yanked the scotch out of the liquor cabinet.

"Joining me?" I asked raising a brow at Heero

He nodded.

Duo was already tossing ice into glasses.

"So what do we do?" I asked, pouring us each a glass.

It felt so much more natural to slip back into mission mode, especially with these two. So much easier than all this emotional pussy-footing, and, if you ignored the three corpses strewn about the living room, it seemed almost normal.

"I'll be leaving for my next assignment at midnight tomorrow." Heero said quietly.

"No!" Duo yelled,

"Duo…"

"Oh shut up both of you." I snapped, slamming my glass back onto the counter and reaching to refill it. "Yuy, why are you working for this guy."

"I thought that had already been made clear."

"Answer the question."

He sighed heavily "To protect Duo."

"And at what point," Duo growled "did I ask for your protection?"

I raised an eyebrow at Heero, who speared Duo with a glare

"I'm not going to let you die in front of me."

"No." Duo snapped "You're going to leave me to die alone."

"Duo…"

"Whatever Heero." Duo rose, a little unsteadily and stalked up the stairs. Heero and I watched him go, heard him step out onto the balcony.

"You suck at this." I growled

"Tell me something I don't know." He snapped back

He sighed and reached for the scotch, only to find it missing. He stared blankly where it should have been.

"What the hell…" his head whipped for the stairs, "that prick took it with him!"

A few stray notes from Duo's guitar drifted out across the yard.

_Do you dream- that the world will know your name  
So tell me your name _

Duo's voice drifted down through the broken window, clear and soulfully haunting.

_And do you care- about all the little things  
or anything at all_

Heero's eyes were fixed on the stairs

_I wanna feel- all the chemicals inside  
I wanna feel _

_And I want a sunburn- just to know that I'm alive  
to know I'm alive_

_Don't tell me if I'm dying- cause I don't wanna know  
If I can't see the sun- maybe I should go  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming- of angels on the moon  
Where everyone you know- never leaves too soon_

"Duo…" he groaned softly, his head hanging

"Tonight's the first time I've heard him play in eight years." I said quietly, Heero lifted his head again "He's always loved this song. It suits him."

_Do you believe- in the day that you were born  
Tell me do you believe_

_Do you know- that everyd__ay's the first  
Of the rest –of- your life_

Heero's chair slid back

"What am I supposed to do?"

I shrugged, "Don't go."

"Not an option."

"Then take him with you."

Heero's jaw clenched.

"I'll make sure Relena's kept safe."

Heero said nothing as he brushed past the corpse still lying on the stairs.

_Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know  
If I can't see the sun- maybe I should go  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming- of angels on the moon  
Where everyone you know- never leaves too soon_

I leaned back against the counter, reveling in the sound of Duo's voice.

"Idiot siren." I said quietly

***H***

Duo had taken both his guitar and the scotch and climbed onto the roof of the veranda.

_This is to one last day in the shadows_

I hopped up onto the railing, and then dropped silently onto the gently sloping roof below me.

_And to know a brother's love_

I sat behind him, my fingers combing through his half dry hair, idly noting the gun at his back, tucked into the waistband of his pants.

_This is to New York City angels  
And the rivers of our blood  
This is to all of us- to all of us_

I continued combing my fingers through the chestnut fall of Duo's hair till I was certain the silken strands were free of tangles, before reaching up to his scalp to begin plaiting it back into his customary braid.

_Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know  
If I can't see the sun- maybe I should go  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming- of angels on the moon  
Where everyone you know- never leaves too soon_

During the war, I'd been the only person Duo had ever allowed to touch his hair, let alone braid it for him. I wondered idly if that still held true.

_You can tell me all your thoughts about- the stars that fill polluted skies_

_And show me where to run to- when no one's left to take your side_

_But don't tell me where the road ends- cause I just don't wanna know  
No I don't- wanna know_

_Don't tell me if I'm dying_

_Don't tell me if I'm dying_

_Don't tell me if I'm dying_

The last notes faded away, my hands slowing with them

"Don't stop." Duo said softly, "Feels good 'Ro."

"Then play me another song." I said, my hands stilling

"I can't think of any" he said after a moment

"Then play that one again."

He shrugged, and I resumed braiding as he fingers plucked across the strings.

"Sing Duo." I said softly, as he hummed through the first verse, "I've missed your voice."

_Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know  
If I can't see the sun- maybe I should go  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming- of angels on the moon…_

I gave a small tug to let him know I was finished.

He sat, still idly strumming, but didn't complete the verse.

"You're not going to finish?"

"Forgot where I was." He hummed

I let my forehead come to rest on his shoulder.

"You're mad at me."

"Yeah." He said softly, then laughed humorlessly "Shit. This is so fucked up."

I tensed, watching Duo's fingers still idly strumming his guitar.

"I used to dream about it, about the life you and I were gonna have once the war was over. Kid stuff, you know? And for a little while there we almost had it, then the thing with Mariemaia…" his voice trailed off

"Tell me." I said softly, my forehead still resting against his shoulder

"Well, I thought we'd get a house you know, someplace like this, remote, just big enough for the two of us and a dog. He was gonna be this big yellow moron, we were gonna name him 'Harvey'."

"You wanted a stupid dog?" I asked, looking up

He shot me a glare, then softened as he drifted back into his daydream.

"Well, not totally stupid, but yeah, kinda. You know, the kind that you can teach to 'sit', but who can never really wrap his head around anything else. He'd sleep on the foot of our bed at night because we'd never be able to train him not to. And eventually we'd give up trying because we'd sort of like having him there."

"_Our bed"_ I felt a twinge in my chest at those words,

"And we'd run a Christmas tree farm, or pumpkin patch or something, you know, something that brings in a lot of money, but is only open for a short season. That way we could travel if we wanted to. See the world you saved… the world Relena's building… but we'd always have a place to come back to. Us n' Harvey. We'd be like a real family, ya' know? A real one, with a _home_." He fell silent a moment, before scoffing "But that's all bullshit. It was just kid stuff."

"no." I choked, my voice coming out more broken than I'd expected.

Duo whirled, his violet eyes widened as his hand reached out to brush my cheek. "'Ro… what!? You're… crying…"

I stared at him. He was right, I could feel them now, the tears trickling down my cheeks. But… I _never_ cried.

***D***

I just sat there staring at him like a moron. There were tears leaking from Heero Yuy's eyes. Not a lot, I mean, it's not like he was blubbering away anything. Hell, he looked totally normal, stoic and everything. There were just tears, slowly rolling down his cheeks. I think he shed maybe ½ a dozen before they stopped, but it was still mind blowing. The perfect soldier doesn't cry.

"'Ro… what's wrong? What did I say?"

His eyes were dry as they rose to meet mine

"That sounds… perfect."

"Yeah, except it'll never happen."

Heero sighed, and his eyes dropped. He didn't argue.

"I have to leave tomorrow. Viatori…"

I glared away

"Duo." He said, catching my chin and turning me back to face him "Will you promise to be here when I get back?"

"No."

***H***

The look in Duo's eyes turned my blood to ice

"I don't owe you anything, Heero." He turned away

"Duo!" I growled, snapping his head back, "Don't you DARE try to kill yourself again!"

"Fuck off!" he yelled standing up, "I'm already dead, remember! This God of Death's just living on borrowed time! And why the fuck should you care anyway! You disappeared for 8 years and then just show up to fuck with my head before taking off again!"

"I'm not here just to fuck with your head!"

"I bet it's a good laugh isn't it. Poor, stupid Maxwell, even dumber than his dog! Just keeps running back to get kicked!"

"Dammit Duo! Did it ever occur to you that it might have hurt me to leave you!? That after I found out I was so desperate to keep you safe that I was willing to do anything, **ANYTHING**, just so long as you were alive. Did it ever even occur to you, that I might really be in love with you?"

"Shut up! Just shut up Heero!"

"No! You need to hear this!"

"I'm tired of listening!" Duo jerked away, whirling to face me from the edge of the roof. If it hadn't been Duo, I wouldn't have believed the gun could appear in his hand so fast. I froze, he took the gun off me and pressed it to the underside of his chin.

"What the hell are you doing!?" I screamed

"I'm tired of this." He said quietly, his eyes vacant, "I'm tired of missing you. I'm tired of fighting with you. I'd rather die now, than die alone."

"What the fuck are you talking about!" I took a step forward, his finger tightened on the trigger. Fine. If that's how he wanted it, two could play that game. I pressed the barrel of my own gun to my temple, I let my eyes close, my mind drifting back to time I'd self-detonated Wing. _Mission Accepted._

"What the hell are you doing Yuy!? Don't you have some mission to complete." Duo's voice was strained

My eyes snapped open "Yeah. It's to keep you alive you fucking moron! If you off yourself now, I'm out of a god damn job!"

"What the fuck are you two doing!?" Wufei was glaring down at us from the railing. "Jesus Christ Yuy, stop fucking around and just ask him to come with you already. If the mission's to get a cure from this Viatori jerk, it involves Duo. There's no logic to keeping him out of it any longer. And quite frankly, if anyone deserves vengeance on this asshole, it's Duo. "

"Viatori wants Duo dead."

"Him and half the remnants of the OZ army, yet Duo's still here. Just like the rest of us."

"What's he got against me?" Duo asked, his gun still in his hand, but at his side now.

"I've spent the last 8 years trying to figure that out. I only know that he doesn't hate all the Gundam pilots, just you."

"Keep your friends close…" Wufei started

"And your enemies closer." Duo finished with a grin, as he tucked his gun back into his waistband.

I scowled. I didn't like this idea. Dragging Duo directly into danger to satisfy some… emotional need. But, I couldn't deny that the thought of having him beside me again was... comforting.

I hissed. This was exactly what Viatori had wanted from the beginning. Exactly what I had been trying so hard to avoid, but I couldn't win against both of them. "We do this _my_ way." I growled at Duo.

He grinned like an idiot.


End file.
